The Quest to Godhood
by PrinceMittens
Summary: Orochimaru - A collection of stories of the immortal Sannin's presence throughout various points in history.
1. Awakening

_Time - the great pacifier.. the killer of all hopes, ambitions, and dreams._

* * *

Any who looked upon his face would say that he could be no more than thirty. He couldn't blame them for thinking so. His youthful countenance was a feature he'd taken years upon years of study and experimentation to achieve. As he stood atop the hills of the snowy landscape, he thought on his previous life. Once he had been a precocious child, coveted for his skills and his ability to simply learn faster than all his peers. It was the people and society around him that had encouraged his abilities, praising him at youth for taking up information and understanding concepts with near-unparalleled genius. Genius was what they had called him. Over the years, the carelessness with which they threw about the word had severely diminished its value. Everyone was a 'Genius'. Every clan had a 'Genius'.

The thought brought a smile to the man's thin lips despite the horrid cold. Genius was relative. If the capabilities and qualifications for what made a genius became commonplace among all, then only those who performed beyond the capacity of the commonplace genius can truly be considered genius. Even a human of low intellectual capabilities could be considered 'Genius' when measured against the smartest of non-human apes. In a society of genius apes, the average human was a genius among geniuses.

With this fact in consideration, it was easy to dismiss any claims that he, Orochimaru, was a genius. He was not. He was merely able to absorb data faster than those around him, applying and mastering almost everything he was taught sooner than the rest. Given sufficient time, even the worst of his peers could achieve the same. He was nothing special.

Measured against the concept of omniscience, his knowledge was infinitely tame; he was a blatant idiot.. relatively speaking.

Idiot or not, he, Orochimaru, former child 'genius', teen 'prodigy', young adult scientist, and connoisseur of knowledge had achieved immortality.

It wasn't that he feared death. Death was a partner, one with whom his experiments employed intimately. He himself had been brought into death's embrace many times. No, his immortality had come not as an aversion to death, but as a byproduct of his quest for knowledge. It was his insatiable desire to know, to learn and to catalogue everything that'd driven him. It was his furious denial of the limitations of human knowledge which had pushed him to seek to extend his life beyond mortal confines, to give himself the time needed to build on his well of knowledge.

The world was rich with information and secrets, waiting to be mined and stored like vast vats of valuable gold. Some might consider it megalomaniacal, but he, Orochimaru, thought his quest for knowledge no different from a quest to Godhood. He would never be satisfied until he'd tasted some semblance of omniscience.

The howling blizzard wind picked up, blowing sharp gales of frost against his pale skin. Orochimaru carelessly brushed some flecks of snow off his cheeks. Then, with a jutsu which was part transformation and part summoning, he created a set of clothes and a cloak and wrapped it over himself. Slowly, he infused the Chakra-conducting material of the thin white layers with fire-natured Chakra before resuming his thoughts.

It'd been years since he'd put himself to sleep. Last he saw of the landscape, the place had been shrouded in massive forests of trees. Those trees were long gone. In their place grew a different set of smaller, younger trees. Against the rapidly receding ice, life was slowly reclaiming its territory.

Several hundred years after Uchiha Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, the climate had begun to change. There was a chill in the air that would not go away, and Orochimaru had put together all the evidence. An age of ice and snow loomed upon them all. Very few, if any, would survive. He'd predicted it, and he had been correct. The cold had refused to let up, and even the enduring trees of the Leaf fell to the might of the unending storm. It was an Ice Age, and humanity would be lucky indeed to survive the plight. Society as he'd known it was dealt a crippling blow, and even as the last of the people he knew of either died or migrated, Orochimaru had stayed. Long having predicted the perpetual storms that was coming, he'd spent years developing and then perfecting one project: a technique which allowed his immortal body to sleep through the tortuous storms for eons or until the world was once more receptive to life and living things.

The lair he'd prepared for himself was set in just the right location. He'd made sure that the area wasn't prone to seismic activities and predicted the level of erosion that might occur while he'd been asleep. He was safe, and if worse came to worse, he would be woken prematurely.

As he refreshed his mind of his past, Orochimaru felt the presence of a cluster of.. ostensibly humans.. trailing through an area just several kilometers to his side, unknowingly entering his massive sensory field. The group plowed through the snow, no doubt they were looking for shelter. None of them had Chakra actively circulating through their system.

He would attend to them later. Orochimaru turned a quick look back to the hole he'd dug from his silicate lair several hundred kilometers deep in the Earth's mantle. In that lair, a near-indestructible room sat innocently, trapped between thousands and thousands of tons of rock. In that room was where his knowledge was stored.

Based on the isotopes he'd left behind prior to the Ice Age, he could, with almost certain accuracy, say that about ninety-eight thousand years had passed, give or take a couple centuries. Sitting next to the small storage of isotopes was a massive entity which contained all the information he'd gathered in his centuries of conscious life. The amount of data that could be stored there far surpassed the approximately three hundred year memory capacity limit of the average human brain. The entity also served as a Chakra-generating well, created from his experiments on the Shinju and from which he could draw whenever and wherever he wished.

He'd amassed enough knowledge, experiences and data to outmatch many lifetimes, data which received contribution from the souls and Chakra of the deceased humans and their offspring, humans who he had marked hoping to detail their survival of the Ice Age.

They'd all died. Every single one of them. They didn't die at the hands of the massive storms of cold. No. The Chakra-wielding superhumans were more than a match for the storms. It was petty internal conflict and war which had ended them. All it took was one crazy psychopath - a descendant of Uchiha Sasuke - to finally polarize and then destroy all that was left of Chakra-using society.

"What irony." Orochimaru said to himself, testing his voice. He laughed. The policy of forgiveness and peace that was extended to the Uchiha had ultimately caused the end of all Shinobi.. all but one.

In the blink of an eye, the once-famous Sannin of the Hidden leaf covered the distance between himself and the group which encroached upon his senses. He landed lightly and soundlessly on the tip of one of the snow-ridden trees, staring down at the slow-moving bunch. They numbered at least a thousand, moving in tight-knit clusters. It was a purposeful migration, and the people were clearly human.

Even with that knowledge, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. The fact that not a single one of them had Chakra circulating within them was disappointing, but it did not completely void him of hope. What did do that was the genetic uniformity of these nomads. The ability to use Chakra was completely genetic. Clearly, these people were not descended from Shinobi. Having artificially lived through the death of countless Chakra-using humans to the hands of Uchiha Furuto, he knew that the hope of finding any descendants were useless. Orochimaru glared at the group below him patiently. Only those who operated on Chakra were capable of contributing their lives to his knowledge database. Although he'd rarely expressed interest in those whose bodies did not circulate Chakra, it seemed they were all he had left to work with.

With a silent jutsu, Orochimaru's face reconfigured itself, taking the common features of the people below him and pasting it onto his own face. He shifted his jaws, reshaped his cheekbones and readjusted his height. Apparently, the average height of humanity had shrunken in the hundred thousand years he'd been asleep. The largest from among the group could not have stood more than a hundred and eighty centimeters tall.

Letting his cloak vanish into dust, Orochimaru outfitted himself with the same quality and design of animal skins and weaved cloths as those that the people below him wore.

None saw him. They were all looking down, averting their gaze from the freezing winds to watch their feet progress through the snow step by agonizing step.

The wind shrieked loudly, drowning out Orochimaru's voice as he tested and adjusted his new vocal chords.

One moment, the figure of a woman could be seen standing atop of one of the trees overseeing the group. The next moment, the woman was gone. None could be faulted for keeping their eyes from the stinging wind, but if any had cared to look, more than likely they'd believe themselves to have seen nothing more than a mere illusion. The idea that a human being could balance on the tip of a ten-meter tall tree in such a storm was beyond ridiculous..


	2. Hunters

Warning: Cavemen

* * *

 _There's nothing as boring as watching someone else play an RPG - Kirigaya Kazuto, SAO_

* * *

They'd traveled long, long distances already. Many, uncountable days had already passed, and there still seemed to be no end to the storm that began several days back. Even with the snow, they had to move on. The herds had long moved and if they stayed any longer, they would run out of food. They would starve. They had to move and move quick while their rations lasted. Luckily, they'd managed to stay with the herds so far, but that was the extent of their good fortune. The trees hardly offered good shelter, and if they didn't reach their destination soon, people would start dying.

There had to be an end to the storm. It couldn't last forever. They would survive. No matter what or who the group had to lose, they would survive. The ordeal they faced was one of the worst to have ever hit them. It didn't matter. As long as they kept moving, they would survive.

Repeating these thoughts, the scout carried forward with determination, walking many distances ahead of the main group. The mammoths cloak barely warded off the bite of winter, but it would not stop her. She was Rahn, one of the few hunters of the group. Hunters were strong. No petty storm was going to stop her or her clanspeople, but gods it was so cold. She needed to escape the cold and soon. She needed to survive. For her friend. For Atma.

Even with the self-encouragement, she couldn't calm the desperation in her heart. Already, several had died. It pained her to see the poor young, born out of season, fall the harshness of the world. It couldn't be helped. Those they left would join the spirits. They had at least that comfort.

Suddenly, Rahn felt an arm circle her shoulders from behind and she turned her cheek against the blizzard - if just barely, and managed to glimpse the figure of one of her fellow hunters. His name was Tet.

Tet rubbed his hand across her back comfortingly and she realized that she'd slowed down.

"Tet." She choked out.

The man smiled and moved forward, turning his head to urge her to do the same. Rahn nodded. They needed to reach their destination soon. They knew where it was, they just had to get there. They'd already been traveling so long, the caves had to be close. They just had to be. Clinging on to that thought, Rahn lifted her weary legs and continued her trek, barely keeping her fellow scout in sight.

Ahead, Tet shouted aloud. Out of the flurry of blinding snow, a massive rocky surface loomed into view and Rahn felt her spirit warm. Tet turned and gave her a nod before heading back to alert the main group. They'd found the shelter. They could finally rest.

* * *

As she ducked out of the snow, Rahn quickly lay down her pack to set up a fire. As she retrieved the first of the kindling, she noticed a light cast from deeper in another cavern room, and she stopped in fear.

She was the first to enter. There couldn't be anyone else here. A spirit? A lone Other? Was it hostile?

With a gulp, Rahn tentatively crept toward the deeper cavern room, the surrounding darkness and the eerie glow only adding to her fear.

She readied her spear. She was a hunter. She wouldn't be afraid. Human or spirit, she would have to face it. If it was a threat, her spear would be ready.

Rahn trailed down the tunnel leading to the cavern room from which the light was coming. With a burst of adrenaline, she peeked around the corner and was instantly rewarded with a flush of relief. Inside the cavern was a moderately dying ember. Next to that ember lay a woman in clothes that did not look completely foreign. The woman was fast asleep, nothing like a spirit nor an aggressive Other.

Others were rare, but the few encounters she'd had with them left bad memories. She was glad the woman wasn't an Other.

The woman looked to be one of them. Probably a stray individual from one of the other branches of the clan. With the ritual first-fire already set, Rahn's job was done. Hopefully the other woman would be willing to share.

Rahn approached and examined the woman's wear. She was dressed in plainly weaved clothes and wrapped in an old-looking skin. With a smile, Rahn returned to the entrance. Pack retrieved, she moved back to the cavern room and laid her things down before plopping next to the other woman.

She carefully examined the other woman's gear. There was some wood, a spear, and a bag of what she assumed was food, Rahn dug into the pack. Yes. Food. Nuts, berries, and dried meats filled the skin to the brim. It was a luxury of food items, and, unable to help herself, Rahn gave the berries a taste. Or she would have. The hand holding the berry stopped in midair as the previously sleeping woman next to her shifted and woke.

Rahn stammered out an apology and hastily put the stolen food-item back to where it came. "Sorry!"

The woman blinked, looking from Rahn to the bag and then, unexpectedly, she smiled. Shrugging off her furs, the woman stretched, showing off her lean hunter's build before reaching into her bag and retrieving the foreign-looking berry. Still smiling, the woman extended a hand, offering her the tantalizing fruit. Rahn hesitantly took the fruit and the woman nodded.

Without another pause, Rahn threw the tasty-looking treat into her mouth. "It's sweet." She said happily. "What is your name?"

The woman tilted her head and made a sound.

Rahn furrowed her eyes in confusion and asked again. "What is your name?"

Receiving no response, Rahn began to feel disconcerted. Did the woman have no name? Why was she just staring at her like that? Maybe she simply didn't understand?

Rahn tried again and pointed to herself. "Rahn." She said, and then pointed at the strange woman. "What is your name?"

The woman smiled and pointed to herself. "Oro."

"Oro." Rahn repeated.

The woman nodded, pointing to herself again. "Oro." She then pointed at her. "Rahn."

Rahn nodded and the woman retrieved another fruit from her pack, offering it generously. Rahn took the fruit and relaxed.

As she savored the rare delicacy, Oro once again spoke. The woman pointed to the fire and made a sound. Rahn examined the woman in confusion. The woman pointed to her. "Rahn." -herself- "Oro." And then to the fire, tilting her head and making a questioning sound.

The question clicked and Rahn shifted in place before extending her own finger towards the fire. "Fire."

"Fire." Oro enunciated with an accent.

Rahn nodded seriously. "Fire."

Oro sat back. She retrieved a strip of meat from her pack and pointed at it, making another questioning sound.

"Meat." Rahn supplied.

"Meat." Oro extended her arms to offer the meat.

Rahn shook her head. "No." She reached for her own pack and drew her own stores, offering hers instead.

Oro chewed into the strip that she held in her hands, ignoring Rahn's offering. "No." She said.

Rahn shrugged and bit into her own piece of dried food. The two ate contentedly for several moments.

Oro was strange, but she was kind. Rahn was happy to have met Oro. She was also very glad that she didn't have to go through the trouble of setting up first fire herself. With the cold and snow that had seeped into the woods she carried, it would've been an annoyingly difficult task.

Even if her companion was weird, she felt she and Oro would get along, and if the spear was any indication, Oro seemed to also be a hunter. Female hunters were few in numbers and to meet another one was rare. Oro fed more pieces of wood to the fire before pointing at other things, making her peculiar questioning sounds. Rahn happily obliged.

* * *

Scouting ahead with Rahn's company had been exhilarating. Rahn was beautiful, and although the huntress had rejected his advances in the past, Tet felt that if he remained persistent, eventually she would give herself to him.

Bearing the cold, the scout retraced his steps to share the good news with the main group. Hunters were held sacred in the clan and very few ever attained the Hunter's Mark. It was a sign of skill and a symbol which commanded respect. Once a member of the clan bore the Mark of a hunter, they were no longer bound by the ritual obligations of mating and were free to chose mates to their own liking - or not at all. Of course, this meant that he couldn't simply take Rahn for his own. She had her rights as a Marked Hunter, rights which he could not simply ignore.  
Tet shivered as another blast of wind tore through his thick coat. He wouldn't have it any other way. Rahn was beautiful precisely for her skills as a hunter and the Mark she bore. She'd been by his side in almost every hunt he'd ever been a part of and she was wonderful. There were other Marked huntresses, and they were few in number. It didn't matter. Rahn was the one Tet desired. Most female hunters have long taken mates to their liking. Rahn had not. Tet found that confusing. Mating was a natural desire. Why was it that Rahn did not take a mate? It was not the first time he'd questioned Rahn's decisions, and it made him desire her all the more. Unlike the others, Rahn was pure. She was unspoilt.

He'd been her partner in many hunts and scouting expeditions and was one of the closest prospective mate in her life. And yet she either never noticed him, ignored him or rebuked his advances. Tet trudged forward angrily, despite the cold. He didn't understand. She didn't seem to have attachments to any other males. Why did she not chose him? He was her most obvious choice.

Lost in his thoughts and with the whiteness of the blizzard snow covering his vision, Tet nearly stumbled into the fore of the main group without seeing them. Several voices hailed him and Tet smiled, quickly forgetting his woes. He had good news for them. The hunter made a signal with his arms, shouting at the top of his lungs to hopefully exceed the shrieking loudness of the storm. His cry was immediately taken up, and soon, the news was flooding quickly through the tired migrants. The group's spirits tangibly lifted with renewed vigor, and Tet, happy to have spread the good cheer, joined the front of the group.

A sense of satisfaction shot through him as he marched with his fellow hunters toward the caves in which they would be spending the season.

Briefly, he wondered if Rahn had managed to spark first-fire. The cold snow must've made the wood difficult, but if first-fire was lit before the main group arrived, it would portend good luck. It was a luck which Tet felt he needed. Rahn would be his this season. He could feel it.

* * *

"Rahn!" He called loudly, his voice echoing far and deep into the massive chambers, lost in the void of the endless series of tunnels and caverns. Behind him, a crowd of veteran hunters and a few huntresses entered, flooding through the familiar space to claim seats for themselves and their kin. More came in, some cheering, others setting up for what would be their home for the season. The hunters were followed by the even larger group: the store-bearers. A few dropped the items they'd been carrying and collapsed in exhaustion.

Tet ignored them all as he made his way toward what could only be the light of a successful first-fire. Several others followed him, eager to feel and see the warm blaze. Tet led them. "Rahn?" he called as he stepped down the tunnel and rounded into the glowing room. He froze. His beloved huntress sat comfortably next to a cozy pit of flames, chewing away at a meat strip. The way she looked at him made him want to take her right there. What surprised him more was the sight of a second woman, clearly another huntress, whose gaze caused him to almost melt in place. Her dark hair and her shapely figure drew heat from his lower belly. She was almost as beautiful as Rahn. Who was this woman?

Unaware of Tet's thoughts, the ones who he'd led to the room filtered past him to sit by the fire. Tet followed, quick to take a seat next to Rahn before any of the others took it.

"Who is she?" Asked Groc, a fellow Marked hunter.

"Yes." Tet added as he dropped his luggage behind his back. "Who is she?"

They were soon joined by more clanspeople, obviously also there to witness and enjoy first-fire before the elders arrived to smother it.

"Her name is Oro."

Oro nodded, a universal gesture they all understood. "My name is Oro." She said.

Oro's voice was silky-sweet. Tet could see some of the men around him already captivated by her.

"Which tribe are you from?" A woman asked. The group that now stood in the spacious room now numbered nearly a hundred.

The beautiful stranger shook her head.

"She is lost." Rahn responded in her place. "She doesn't speak our tongue, but she learns. We will show her to the Shaman elders. She is not an Other, but she is a huntress. She is kind."

The curiosity that was Oro patted Rahn on the shoulder before standing, a pack in hand. Tet could not help but notice that, although the woman seemed built to be a huntress, she did not bear the Mark on her smooth-looking cheeks. The same observation was made by several others around him.

The woman approached the hunter Groc and drew a piece of fruit from her bag. "Fruit." She said and offered it.

Groc took the offered piece confidently and devoured it. "Good." He said.

A number of people started to move away. Oro was just a random huntress who posed no threat. They needed to establish territorial claims and to help set up the main camp. Many fires would be lighted to celebrate the arrival at their destination. A few stayed, including Tet, who was expecting to share the same camp with Rahn. Groc, on the other hand, was unashamedly taking more food from Oro, who seemed happy to share with him as they spoke to each other.. sort of. Oro apparently didn't speak their tongue very well.

"Rahn." Tet said gruffly.

The huntress snapped her attention away from Groc and Oro as if surprised. "Tet." She acknowledged.

"Who is Oro?" He asked conversationally.

Rahn stared at him for a moment before answering. "Oro is a friend."

Tet nodded. "Tet will share camp with Rahn."

"Tet.." Rahn said with a tint of resignation in her voice at the sudden statement. "Ok. Tet will share camp with Rahn.. and Oro and Groc and the others of the clan who would join us."

Tet stared into the fire in contemplation. Of course, others would join the circle. Groc's family would most likely be staying with them. Tet's family would be joining them. Rahn's own father would definitely be a part of the circle along with a small cluster of still-surviving elders. Tet looked over to his side to the two who Rahn had mentioned. He could see Groc talking animatedly, naming the things around them eagerly to Oro's questioning and broken words. Clearly his friend in arms was very attached to Oro.

"Ok." Tet finally said. He wanted once again to ask to mate with Rahn, but he was tired and a little fearful of hearing her rejection. He couldn't force the issue either. She was a Marked Hunter. Tet sighed and stood. The ritual was starting soon anyway. Once circles had been established and the cavern complex had been made habitable by the clan, there would be a gathering of prayers to appease the spirits of the cave, a festival of sorts. After that, everyone would rest as selected members from each circle were sent to fetch water from the snow and bring it back to their groups.

Tet snuck another look at Oro, who was now speaking with another woman, a weaver. Oro's interest and curiosity with all their proceedings and their language lay completely transparent as she fired question after question. Tet shivered with heat as he trailed his eyes across her figure. Oro was definitely strong, and she was also beautiful.

Belatedly, Tet asked himself whether or not Oro might be a spirit in human form. It would explain her inability to speak their tongue. Animals had their own tongue. It would also explain her charm. A spirit could craft whatever form they pleased. Oro might be dangerous. Already, he could tell that his fellow clanspeople, including Rahn, liked her immensely. They were being drawn to her too easily, and it made Tet weary and a little scared. He wondered what the Shaman Elders would make of her.

* * *

Word of Oro's presence spread like wildfire long before the last of the group reached the caves. She was strangely endearing, and most who saw her and almost all who spoke to her admired her. Their first-fire had been lit by Oro, a stranger. It was a free blessing of luck. While many took the blessing for granted, a few shared Tet's wary sentiments. The rumor that Oro may be a spirit spread equally fast. As such, it was unsurprising to the clan that the woman in question was standing among the Shamans, waiting to be presented to the gathered clan.

"Clan of the Mammoth!" Screeched one female Shaman. "We have made it home!"

Most had heard the ceremony at least several times before. They knew what to expect, and so they stood silently. The female Shaman retreated and another stood forth to speak. The second Shaman, an older male Shaman, boomed his deep voice into the silence. "We have lost some from among us. They have been taken by the spirits, to live among them for the rest of their existence! We will gravely miss them!" The Shaman looked around at the sound of a few sobs, and continued his speech. "But we will not mourn them!"

As one, the people hummed briefly, the sob vanishing into the spiritual noise. The humming continued until the Shamans began to speak once more. "They will live on! All must die and all must join the spirits in death. Our loved ones! Our fathers! Our mothers! Our sons and our daughters! They are not lost to us forever, nor are we to them." The Shaman focused his eyes to the place where he surmised the sob had come from, his voice softening kindly."May their spirits run joyous and free in the next world."

The Shaman retreated and was replaced by a third, younger male Shaman.

"And now!" The third Shaman stood with confidence. "A blessing!" At this, Oro was pushed forward for all to see. "A spirit or a lost clans member she might be. Her name is Oro."

A sea of over a thousand voices repeated the name, chanting it back to the Shaman who quickly silenced them.

The female Shaman spoke up in a loud voice. "Whatever she is, the Clan of the Mammoth accepts her. It is the Great Spirit's will. She gave us our first-fire, our fortunes bode well. Let us pray our thanks to the Great Spirit!"  
The Shamans closed their eyes and began another deep hum. The hum was quickly taken up by those around them, and spread from the inner circles all the way to the outer-edges of the group. After several long moments, the hum of prayer receded in the same pattern. The Shamans stopped their humming, opening their eyes. Those around them did the same, spreading the silence all the way to the back in a radial pattern of noiselessness. At that moment in time, the people's spirits were soothed and unified. Their worries and desires forgotten in the moment of tranquility. Rahn stared intently at Oro from her position near the front of the clan's gathering cluster. The interest and curiosity which never seemed to leave the woman's eyes were further illuminated by the light of the circle of fires and torches struck up around the platform.

Breaking the silence, the Shamans spoke once more. "Now. We rest."

With that the people returned to their circles. Rahn waited for the crowd to filter away. She waited even longer as the Shamans spoke to the mysterious woman who had slid into the good favors of so many in so short a time. Oro seemed to be asking them questions, her command of their tongue was raw, but if she could speak with the Shamans, it must be at least coherent. Somehow, in the short span during which they'd met, Oro had learned, to some degree, to speak their tongue. Maybe she once spoke the language and had forgotten it. Maybe she was rediscovering the language she already knew.

Intrigued, Rahn moved closer to catch some of the exchange, but before she could hear any words, the Shamans gave a nod and Oro stepped down from the platform. Rahn quickly walked up to the woman. "What was Oro saying to Shamans?"

Oro's beautiful face lit up in a heartwarming smile. The woman pointed at herself and then to her. "Ask Rahn live same fire."

Rahn quirked her brows at the broken words. Maybe Oro wasn't as good at speaking as she'd initially thought. It didn't matter, she would help Oro learn. "Oro asked to live at same fire with Rahn?"

"Yes." Oro beamed to which Rahn could not help but grin.

Rahn cheered. "Oro share camp with Rahn!"

Oro gazed away thoughtfully. "Yes. Oro share camp with Rahn." She repeated.

Rahn stopped to point to herself and smiled. "Happy."

"Happy?" Oro pointed at her. "Name not Rahn?"

Rahn giggled, and despite the exhaustion of the previous days of marching, she pulled the woman into a brief embrace before running ahead with a burst of energy. "I am Rahn and Rahn is very happy!"

* * *

He watched her. He watched Rahn wait patiently for the newest member of their clan. Then, as the women walked, Tet could not help but catch Rahn's tone of excitement while she spoke to the enigmatic Oro. The sudden change in her attitude confused him, but gave him relief. Rahn had not shown such eagerness to speak with someone since she'd lost her previous friend, a rare Marked huntress with whom she had hunted many seasons long before she'd gained her own Mark. Her friend, Atma, had died in a terrible hunt, killed by a fierce tiger. It was a warrior's death, and Atma's spirit could not have been given a more worthy passing. Rahn had been there when it'd happened, and Rahn had killed the tiger, earning her Mark while losing her friend.

Tet let his wariness slide away. Perhaps Oro's presence wasn't so bad. Rahn needed another friend to lighten her spirit. A happy Rahn meant a more accepting Rahn.

Tet smiled as he followed his newest circle-members back to the fire. He would be living at the circle of the first-fire no less. It meant good fortune. The thought gave Tet hope.

* * *

The group circled around the fire, exchanging quiet words about the trek through the storm and about those who had died. Some of the elderly and a few too young to withstand the cold had been returned to the world of the spirits. They would not mourn, no matter how much it hurt them.

On a lighter matter, Rahn had appointed herself the one to introduce Oro to the circle. Most everyone accepted her. Oro was extremely charismatic.

Rahn was glad that everyone took to the woman so well. Her father and Tet had shared a look and a quiet whispered conversation before seeming to come to some kind of understanding. Both were extremely supportive of Oro's joining their circle. Their willing and joyous acceptance cheered Rahn's heart. Even with Groc trying to make advances on her, Oro also seemed happy.

After several more exchanges, the group had decided to retire. The march in the storm had been exhausting and many of them wanted nothing more than to sleep away their weariness.

Most had fallen asleep almost instantly, but Rahn couldn't sleep. She shooed Groc to the other side of the firepit. Rahn lay silently. Tet's mother fell into sleep to her right. Oro's sleeping form lay on her left. The woman was sleeping on her side, her face nuzzled into a thick mammoth fur.  
Rahn silently let her eyes roam the woman's face in the dim firelight. It'd been so long since she'd last felt such a close bond with another, and she simply knew that she and Oro would be tight-knit. With that thought in mind, she made a resolve. She would not fail like she did with Atma. Oro would be protected.

"Never again." She whispered. Rahn turned to lay on her back once more, closing her eyes and instantly drifting into sleep.

* * *

She didn't know what woke her. Perhaps it was providence, a spirit of some sort that wanted her to catch a sight she'd otherwise have missed. Whatever the case was, it was clear she hadn't rested for long. Rahn was still exhausted and her legs still ached. Yet she was awake, her eyes opening just in time to see Oro slipping away from the fire circle. As Oro exited the cave room, Rahn sat up. The woman's every step was so smooth and soundless that she could almost imagine Oro to be a spirit, which was impossible. Spirits weren't tangible, and she'd felt Oro's own hand in hers.

Overcome by curiosity, Rahn crept after the woman, stepping out of the massive stone room into the smaller cave tunnel. She turned left as she'd seen Oro do before stopping dead in her tracks.

It was then Rahn realized that Oro had not brought a light. The woman was travelling blindly into the darkness.

"Oro." She whispered, her voice carrying down the empty tunnel, reverberating off the walls and sending a chill down her spine. Rahn turned to glimpse the little specks of ember littered all over the main cavern. Every single one a circle of people, and every person was asleep.

"Oro?" She called again, turning back blindly to face the dark tunnel. She stumbled and nearly fell when Oro suddenly melted out of the darkness to catch her and hold her steady. An electric twinge of fear ran up her arm at the point of contact between them despite Oro's soft touch.

The huntress let the sudden burst of fear reside slowly. Having someone jump out of the darkness at her like that was not something she liked to experience. "Oro." She breathed. "Where is Oro going?"

Oro made a shushing noise and tugged gently at Rahn's hand. "Rahn. Come."

For no reason she could discern, Rahn complied. She let the strange woman lead her deeper and deeper through the dark cavern tunnel, her feet plopping loudly compared to Oro's silent steps. A question began gnawing in her mind as they descended further into the abyss. How was Oro navigating without light? It shouldn't be possible. She'd heard stories of blind Shamans walking through familiar environments without trouble, but if Oro was the same, then she must be so exquisitely familiar with the cavern's layout that she could confidently stride through the otherwise dark and oftentimes dangerous grounds. Good people had fallen into deep crevices before.

"Oro?" She asked with a touch of fear in her voice. Everything was dark. Nothing but the sensation of her feet on cold stone and Rahn's hand on hers showing that she was still in the physical realm. "Where are we going?"

Suddenly, the hand disappeared and Rahn panicked. Before she could scream however, she felt what could only be an arm circle around her shoulders from the side along with a distinct chuckle. "Rahn is.. scared?"

Rahn scoffed at the obvious taunt. "No. Rahn is not scared."

Oro chuckled some more and rubbed Rahn's back in what seemed to be a comforting gesture. "Come."

Rahn sighed. She couldn't back down now. Not on this clear affront to her courage. Her name as a Marked Hunter demanded she follow, and she did. Without further hesitation, Rahn reached her own arm around to make sure she had a hold on Oro's shoulder, and side by side, the two progressed deeper into the darkness.

After another inestimable distance, Rahn stumbled yet again, this time, with an audible splash. As she fell in the water, Rahn realized that Oro wasn't there to catch her. She flailed about in the darkness for a few moments before picking herself out and yelling in fear. "Oro!? Oro where are you?!"

Suddenly, a light filled the area. It wasn't just any light. A massive ball of fire, larger than the largest of mammoths hung suspended in the air. It was the heat of the Sun, the roaring blazes of an impossible image, and it was balanced on Oro's fingertips. Oro herself stood in the middle of what Rahn could make out to be a large lake of warm water.

Everything told Rahn that this was impossible. That what she was seeing could not be real. Still in shock, what Oro did next surprised her even more. The woman pointed at her. "Rahn." She then pointed at herself. "Oro." She pointed at the inferno at her fingertips. "Fire." And finally she pointed down at her feet, waiting expectantly.

"Lake." Oro tilted her head and Rahn's mind went in a jumble. "W-water."

Oro approached her, causing an instinctual reaction of fear. "Walk." Oro said. The woman sat on the water as if it were solid earth. "Sit." Oro tilted forward, carefully keeping the ball of fire above their heads, and sniffed Rahn's hair while making the same questioning sound that she seemed accustomed to making.

"Smell." Rahn supplied. Everything felt surreal. Oro's ability to navigate the darkness had been disconcerting, but walking on water, balancing a giant ball of fire on her fingertips, and then asking her these insane questions made Rahn feel as if she were in some alternate reality. 'This can't be real.' She thought.

"Smell." Oro repeated and pointed to the water. "Water no smell. Rahn smell."

Oro dipped her free hand into the water and sent a splash into Rahn's face.

* * *

She woke with a start and sat up, memories of some dream fading away in her mind. Oro was still to her left, sleeping. To her right, Tet's mother, Ara, was already gone. The woman had a habit of waking early.

Rahn stretched, feeling oddly well-rested. Ignoring the other woman on her side of the fire, Rahn shuffled closer to Oro's sleeping form. "Oro." She tapped the woman on the cheek, and nearly jumped as the woman's eyes flicked open.

Rahn nervously took up her spear. Where previously she felt comfortable with the strange woman before her, Rahn was now fighting a feeling of odd discomfort which she couldn't quite place. Ignoring the strange feelings in her gut, the huntress hefted her spear. "Long Hunt for meat and food. Oro come?"

The dark-haired newcomer paused as if in thought before taking up her own spear and smiling. "Oro come."

Rahn smiled back and was about to make a response when another voice interrupted their exchange.

"Groc come too." The large, hairy Hunter stood and showed his teeth. "Tet will also hunt, right Tet?"

The man kicked at his fellow hunter who couldn't help but be pulled out of his sleep by the blunt foot to his shoulder. "Rahn!" He yelled as he woke before realizing where he was.

Groc laughed. "Groc no Rahn. Groc is Groc. Tet come hunt?"

Tet groaned, still sleepy, and took up his spear. Trying to ignore what he'd shouted when he'd woke, Tet responded quickly to Groc's inquiry. "Tet come hunt."

* * *

A gathering of over fifty hunters, less than half Marked, were sent out for the hunting expedition with the Shamans' spiritual guidance and blessings. Weeks later, the same gathering stood against a titanic behemoth, haranguing it toward their cave. It'd taken them a good number of days to track and find the herd. After that, it was another several days of waiting to isolate the straggler.

Finally, with the hunters in formation, their target was where they needed it to be, surrounded by nearly thirty hunters with sharp weapons stinging at its flanks.

The mammoth shrieked and charged forward to make another opening only to be hurt by spears. Fearful of the sting that the humans were giving it, the mammoth retreated unknowingly toward the human's living quarters.

Each and every hunter did their job, driving the mammoth back. It would be difficult to carry the thing home if they killed it here. If they did, they would be forced to cut it open here and cart it back piece by piece and leaving it open to other predators and to decay. Letting the living creature travel the distance they needed it to travel was the most efficient way of maximizing the bounty they received from its carcass.

Tired of being led around and wanting to return to its herd, the mammoth made another mad charge. Rahn took a peek at Oro as the woman stepped up to do her part. To no surprise at all, Oro, timed her steps perfectly, driving her spear into one of the creatures forelegs just as it landed and leaping back just enough to evade its sweeping tusks. The mammoth limped back, afraid of getting hurt once again, and resumed its way unharassed toward its grave.

Oro was a natural hunter, and, for some reason, Rahn felt proud for her. The woman could easily earn her own Mark. Nearby, Groc felt the same. Oro was simply stunning. If he wanted to take her, he would have to make his move before she earned her inevitable Mark, and he planned to do so when they finished the hunt.

Groc growled impatiently as the mammoth took a swing toward his direction. He and a cluster of other hunters around him roared to scare the creature and jabbed their spears at it. The mammoth retreated, once again trumpeting for its herd to no avail.  
Soon, the creature grew weary and slept. The nearly thirty hunters did the same and were replaced by another group of the same size. The mammoth would not sleep unless they let it. The hunters stayed awake in alternating patterns to make sure of that. There would always a crod of hunters there, ready to keep the mammoth on track and making sure that it was weak.

It wasn't long before the creature stopped fighting, limping on its damaged leg to wherever the humans wanted it to go. A few short days later, the mammoth was cornered near the crevice of the humans' home. With nowhere to go, it trumpeted and made its final stand, a last chance at survival. Long alerted of the arrival of the hunters and their target, many clan members strolled out the cave to watch the hunt, keeping a respectable distance as to make sure none of them got in the way.

The hunters worked hard, poking at the dangerous pachyderm, wearing it down cautiously. Finally, due to sheer exhaustion from lack of sleep and blood loss from the wounds constantly being opened on its legs and sides, the great wooly mammoth, largest of creatures of its time, thundered into the earth, felled by the tiny humans around it.

A great cheer rang out from both the spectators and the weary hunters. The mammoth's carcass was almost instantaneously swarmed by hundreds of humans, plucking and cutting at its flesh and its bones. Not a piece would be wasted. The single mammoth itself could provide the clan with fuel, food, tools and furs. The food from the mammoth alone could last them several weeks, not counting the other smaller hunted prey or gathered plants.

Later that day, another snowstorm riddled the grounds as the clan gathered together. Led by the three Shamans, the people gave thanks for to the spirit of the mammoth for providing to them, honoring its sacrifice and, as with any of the dead. "May its spirit run joyous and free in the next world." Said a Shaman, finishing the ceremony. The people joined together in a hum. Regardless of their differences, they all sounded to the same tune.

As the hum died down, Rahn opened her eyes, her spirit feeling cleansed and at peace. She looked around the crowd for Oro and spotted the woman a few tens of hunters away. Strangely and to Rahn's slight dismay, the woman's countenance wasn't that of one at peace, as had been expected. Instead, her eyes continued to glint with that same light.. a light which simply emanated curiosity and interest.

Rahn felt like she should be worried or disconcerted, but Oro was Oro. If there was anything she'd learned during her time with the woman, it was that Rahn loved Oro. Rahn loved Oro more than anything.

* * *

"Tet.." The Shaman elder sighed. "Again?"

The Hunter ducked his head unhappily. "I must have her. I don't understand. All the signs say good fortune. Rahn and Tet are in the same circle. I don't understand. What do the spirits say?"

"Tet. Rahn is a Hunter with the Mark." The elder began.

"Tet knows."

"The Mark is sacred." The elder continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Rahn is beyond the powers of traditional mating obligations. She chooses her own."

"Tet knows! But Rahn hasn't chosen a mate!" The man yelled furiously. He'd already heard all of this before. He knew it to be true. The elder must enjoy doing this to him. Provoking his anger like this.. The elder closed his eyes, patiently waiting for the man before him to calm down. Tet slowed his breathing. "What do the spirits say?" He asked again.

The old man sighed. "Tet.. find another mate." He said bluntly.

"Why?!" Tet roared. "Why does Rahn not choose Tet? Why does Tet not get to chose Rahn?! Tet is a Marked Hunter too! Why?!"

"Tet could challenge Rahn for mating rights." The elder suggested. "But-"

"But Tet doesn't want to kill Rahn." Tet said despondently. "Tet wants to mate her."

"Choose another mate, Tet." The elder repeated. "Why not Oro?

Tet looked down at his toes for a few moments before responding. "Tet.. Tet does not want Oro."

"Tet.." The elder put a hand on the man's shaking shoulders and sighed. "Choose another mate."

With that, Tet turned heels and stalked off. Rahn had rejected him again. He couldn't understand. He did everything he could for Rahn. He loved Rahn. He wanted to mate Rahn. Why did Rahn not want to mate him? Tet wasn't ugly. Tet had mated with willing mates before, but Rahn wasn't willing. Why?!

Brooding as he walked, Tet failed to see the massive fist flying toward his face. Of course, failing to see the fist, he couldn't possibly have retaliated, and thus, he was knocked off his feet, his thoughts scrambling away in a daze as he was picked up by Groc's rough hands. "Groc see Tet talking to Shaman.." The large man stated. "Tet not ask for Shaman blessing for Oro.." Groc cuffed the man in the face. "Right?"

Tet grit his teeth, unable to hold back his tears. "No. Tet asks only for Rahn."

"Good." Groc grinned. "Oro belongs to Groc. Now Groc go ask Shaman's spirit blessing and then Groc take Oro for his own."

Tet stared at his aggressor mutedly. Seeing that the man had no will to fight Groc dropped him unceremoniously to the floor where he rolled to a stop. Groc grinned with anticipation as he made his way to the Shaman that Tet had been talking to previously. While usually the old elders didn't like to mate prospective Marked Hunters, Groc knew of ways to convince them. They would give Oro to him before she was given the chance to earn her Mark. They didn't have any real reasons to stop him. Groc would get what he wanted. Groc smart.

* * *

Rahn sat next to Oro as she regaled the curious children with stories of the hunt, occasionally receiving interference from Oro who helped either to clarify some points or to exaggerate others to great storytelling effects. The children were utterly captivated.

During her weeks as Oro's hunting partner, Rahn hadn't really noticed the way Oro had mastered their tongue in much the same way that she never really noticed how children grew larger and then became able hunters or mothers in their own right. It wasn't something she'd yet been able to experience firsthand. Oro's ability to help her tell the tales of the nights spent travelling and of smaller hunts was the proof that Rahn needed to know that her self-given task, the task to teach Oro to speak, had been immensely successful. It was, in fact, more successful than she'd imagined. Oro had picked up the language faster than she thought possible. As she listened to Oro speak of the armadillo they'd tracked together, Rahn couldn't help but feel proud.

Oro had learned to speak from her, and Oro had learned more quickly than any single person before her. Oro was perfect. She was beautiful, strong, incredibly smart, and kind. There was nothing not to love of Oro, and Rahn was entranced. Of course, she couldn't go to the Shaman for a spirit blessing. It would be asking to be shunned by the clan. Atma had known this, and had urged her to earn her Mark to ward off potential mates looking to take her out of her will. She'd worked so hard, done all she could to hone her skills, and then Atma had died. It had been the most crushing event in her life. Years had passed since Atma's passing into the spirit world, and now she had Oro.

They rarely had any moments alone with such a large group, and it had taken the excuse of a scouting mission before Rahn had finally been able to isolate herself with her fellow huntress. To her mild pleasure, Oro had not seemed shocked when Rahn had made her intentions known. The woman had allowed a moment of tantalizing contact, enough to tell her that she wasn't chasing an impossible goal, but brief enough to not satisfy her in the least.

Oro had taunted her since, knowingly. The strange woman's half-jests and illusive mentions to Rahn's desires were both agonizing and enticing,

"Rahn would chase the armadillo." Oro was saying. "And she would get close, just barely touching its shell, but it always runs away." Oro shook her head as if sad. "Rahn couldn't catch the armadillo."

"What was Oro doing?" One of the children asked curiously.

The woman smiled sweetly. "Oro helped the armadillo escape."

"Why?" Another child asked.

"Because-" Rahn broke in before Oro could give one of her snarky replies. "The armadillo was beautiful and belonged to Oro. Oro usually likes to share, but Oro likes her armadillo more than she likes to share." She gave the woman a meaningful glance. Oro feigned indifference as she nodded to Rahn's blatantly fictional narrative. "Rahn is waiting for the day when Oro will share it with her. Rahn likes Oro's armadillo too.. more than Oro knows."

"Oh!" A deep, throaty voice grumbled aloud. "Oro has armadillo? Groc no see. Where armadillo?"

Rahn laughed. "Oro's armadillo is hiding in secret place."

"Really?" Groc laughed back. "Can Groc see?" He asked, directing the question directly to the dark-haired woman.

"Groc wants to see armadillo?" The woman asked in her curious tone.

"Yes." Groc replied eagerly.

"Ok. Oro will show Groc armadillo. Wait." Rahn narrowed her eyes in confusion as Oro reached forward for a piece of charcoal from the firepit. Then, with quick, purposeful movements, she drew a near exact likeness of an armadillo on the cavern floor. Rahn's eyes widened in surprise. The greatest extent of art in her world so far were simplistic cave-paintings. The realism of Oro's charcoal drawing held her rooted in absolute shock and admiration.

Groc narrowed his eyes. "That not armadillo."

The children agreed, having never seen an armadillo in their lives. It was an animal that rarely made an appearance, if at all. Hunters were about the only ones who ever receive the opportunity to spy one of the shelled rodents, but few ever ventured to catch one. Armadillo's were crafty and their meat made stomachs turn against their will.

Groc chuckled and swept his foot across the charcoal drawing. "Run children. Groc have important mating to do."

With that, the children were gone. While many of them thought themselves brave, even the bravest of the young shared one thought with the rest: Groc scary.

Rahn, on the other hand was flabbergasted. Her previous shock of admiration had devolved into simple shock as her mind sifted through Groc's words. The man's advances toward Oro had been very blatant since the outset. Oro had never outright rejected him, which was worrying, but she never seemed to care for him either.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Rahn stood aggressively. "Oro doesn't want to mate Groc."

Groc laughed and shoved the huntress away. "Oro must mate Groc. Groc has blessing from Shaman elder."

That couldn't be true. Rahn trembled. Oro was a skilled Hunter. She practically had the Mark already. The Shaman elders almost never did this to those who were going to earn their Marks. It couldn't be possible. Oro wasn't just any huntress, she was the best. She couldn't accept this. Groc was lying.

With that thought in mind, Rahn made to return Groc's physical brutality but was stopped by a restraining hand.

Oro stood. "Oro will not mate Groc." She said calmly.

Groc laughed, something he did quite often. "Oro will mate Groc. Or Oro no longer part of the clan. Groc has Shaman blessing. Elder Cet gave it to him. Oro belongs to Groc now."

Rahn swayed in place as she felt a sense of vertigo overtake her balance. "No!"

"Yes." Groc said. Ignoring Rahn's distress, he made a swipe at the woman that he now owned and missed. Oro leapt just out of his reach, and Groc laughed as Rahn sunk to the floor in despair. "Come to Groc!"

The large man made his second attempt. It was the last thing he saw that day. Oro slapped a hand across his face, sending him flying into the nearby cave wall with a concussion.

A number of clanspeople approached, having expected to see Oro finally be mated. "What happened?" One woman asked. "Groc is defeated by his mate?"

"Oro is strong." Said a man with a shrug.

Rahn managed to stand to her feet and glare at the crowd with murder in her eyes. "Oro is not Groc's mate."

"Oro is Groc's mate." An elder's voice stated. The Shaman elder, guessing that there would be trouble with the blessing made with regards to Oro, shifted through the back of the crowd from which he was previously standing. "Or, like Groc said, Oro will be removed from the Clan."

"No." Rahn bit back stubbornly. She was running out of options, and a feel of desperation overran her usual reservation. "As a Marked Hunter, Rahn will challenge Groc to take the blessing for Oro."

"Groc will-" The elder stopped as he registered the words that were uttered. "What?"

"Rahn will challenge Groc for Oro."

Murmurs went through the crowd as the elder narrowed his eyes. "Rahn cannot. The spirits will not allow it."

"They will. They already have. The spirits allowed Rahn to mate Atma." There was a near-collective gasp which Rahn ignored. "Why not Rahn and Oro?"

"No Rahn." The elder said, his voice grave and sad. "The spirits took Atma precisely because they cannot allow it. We cannot allow it. I see now why Rahn chose to destroy Tet when he's done nothing but show devotion to her. Rahn. You are an abomination. You've killed Atma, destroyed Tet's spirit, and now you prey after sweet Oro. The spirits will not accept this. The spirits will not accept you. The clan will not accept Rahn's filth."

Rahn felt a sinking feeling in her guts as she espied the many faces of disgust voicing their agreement to the Shaman's judgment. Words of scorn stabbed at her spirit, and her eyes glazed over as her vision lost its focus. She couldn't bear to see them.. those faces. Some were people she'd known all her life. That the words of scathing revulsion were being uttered from those familiar voices crushed her. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to scream. This couldn't be happening. Ever since Groc had claimed Oro to be his mate, everything had fallen apart. How could her world be so completely shattered in so little time? Only a few short moments ago, she was telling stories with Oro, entrancing the children and making jests at the impossibly perfect woman.

That's right. There was still Oro. What was Oro doing?

Rahn looked up at Oro who was staring right back at her. She shivered with delight. Even if everyone else rejected them from the clan, she and Oro could brave the loneliness together. They were both capable huntresses. Her eyes regained their focus to the most horrendous sight she could possibly imagine.

Oro was glaring at her like the others. "You are disgusting." She said in a tone Rahn had never heard before.

Her eyes widened in disbelief at what she knew couldn't have been what came out of her love's mouth. "W-What?"

"You are an abomination." Oro continued in her sweet voice, every word sending shocks of cold fear down Rahn's spine. "Even if Rahn had beaten Groc, what makes Rahn think Oro would accept her?" The woman sneered. "You disgust me."

Rahn spluttered as she failed to process Oro's unexpected rejection. She sunk to her knees as Oro's words shot through her, crushed her and destroyed her spirit. Ignoring the sounds of jeering from the surrounding crowd of clanspeople, she looked up, hoping beyond hope that her eyes and ears and simply been lying to her about Oro. Oro couldn't possibly have said those words. Oro was kind. "Oro?" she whimpered desperately.

Oro smiled, and slowly walked up to her. Rahn gave a short, hopeful cut of breath. And then Oro shoved her to the floor with a kick of her feet, voice full of loathing. " _Filth._ " The woman glared down at her. Rahn gulped as her heart shattered. Oro wouldn't do this to her. Oro was kind.

The huntress choked, a throat wrenching sob followed immediately by streams of tears down the side of her face. There was a certain clarity to the world that she'd never experienced before, and it hurt more than anything, more than her father had hurt her all those years ago.. more than Atma's passing to the Spirit world. Her clan was denying her. By the way they were speaking, it was clear that any worth she'd had was now gone. Her repute as a hunter and as a longstanding member of the clan had been replaced by disgust and loathing. Oro's denial had been the heaviest blow of all. She couldn't stand it. It hurt so much. She wanted to just make it all go away. She wanted to stop hearing her people's voices. She wanted to stop hearing Oro's words echoing in her ears.

The crowd of clanspeople watched the huntress with wonder as she collapsed piteously, wracked with sobs of grief. The sight of one of the clan's most respected members being so completely and utterly ruined was both mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time.

Her rational mind in shambles, Rahn reached for her spear. Distantly she heard a voice calling her name. She wasn't sure. All she could hear was ' _filth'_ and _'abomination'_ , repeating over and over in her head. It had to stop. Holding the spear over her chest, she wondered if the Spirits would be more accepting.

"RAHN!" Tet screamed as he forced his way past the few wide-eyed and indifferent people who stood in front of him. "STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! RAHN!" He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Rahn plunged the spear into her heart just as he reached her side, causing him to scream in anger and frustration. With a cry, he pulled her into his arms as she gasped to breath. She was bleeding everywhere. How could she do this to herself? To him? "Stupid Rahn." He sobbed. "Why?"

Everything was hurting. It hurt so much that she could hardly focus her thoughts. She'd known that Tet loved her. Every detail of Tet's anguish imprinted in her mind, despite her mental condition. If only she could've loved him back. "Rahn is sorry." She gasped sincerely as the blood streamed out of her lips and down the side of her cheeks. "Rahn is sorry."

"Rahn?" Tet's voice quivered as the huntress fell utterly still. "Rahn?" He shook her, as if she were asleep. "Rahn?"

Even as the crowds parted, Tet remained seated with the woman in his arms, calling her name and expecting her to sit up at any moment. She never did.

Rahn was dead.


	3. Hunted

_There is the hunter and the hunted. -_ Rengar, League of Legends

* * *

The Sharingan. The demonic doujutsu. The heavenly eye. Those who perused the world through those crimson pupils were said to be able to see into the future, to capture imagery and perfectly retain it to minute detail, to manipulate others' perceptions of reality, to traverse space and time, and to control the minds of even the most powerful of beasts. They were capable even of bending fate to the user's will.

Those who wielded the Sharingan were considered by some to be gods. The assumption was not strictly true. The Sharingan did not make its wielder any less mortal. It did however, provide a unique and useful ability.

In order to collect the infinite quantity of data in the universe, he'd need an infinite amount of time to do so. Immortality had thus been necessary. He had all the time in the world. Having the Sharingan would have been _nice_ , even if it wasn't necessary. The image-capturing abilities it provided made it vastly easier to accomplish his goals. If one were to remove the human mind's limited memory capacity, Sharingan users simply were the best and most efficient data processing units in existence, discounting the Rinnegan of course.

Years after Madara's demise, Orochimaru had undertaken a second massive study on the Uchiha bloodline limit. From what he'd gathered of Kabuto's experiments, the Sharingan could be genetically fostered into synthetic bodies. He had been pleasantly surprised to learn that, due to Kabuto's experimentations with Uchiha and Senju blood, the legendary Uchiha Madara had naturally developed the Rinnegan in a specially crafted Impure World body. This was made possible by culturing the cells of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, onto the sacrificial body used for Madara's Impure World Resurrection. Kabuto's mastery of the technique more than justified Orochimaru's choice to make the boy his protege.

After the Fourth Shinobi War, Kabuto had retired to run an orphanage. Orochimaru had continued his research. Using the many clones who carried Hashirama's genetic data, he'd managed to create artificial, Sharingan-wielding bodies. It was disappointing. Not a single one of his experiments managed to develop the Rinnegan. The Sharingan's development and progression were triggered by painful, emotional experiences. It was likely that the eyes of the mythical Sage of Six Paths also hinged on some triggering mechanism. Before he could find out just what said mechanisms might be, his experiment, Shin, had developed a sense of autonomy.

Shin had escaped and gone on to conduct his own experiments, creating clones of himself out of the pool of White Zetsus, clones which allowed him to replace and transplant any part of his body when necessary. Then, Shin had gone and provoked the host of the Nine-tails and leader of the Hidden Leaf village: the Seventh Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. It was a stupid move. Shin was a failure, and Orochimaru had abandoned the Sharingan project for a time. Instead, he'd worked on perfecting his immortal lifespan and expanding the limits of his physical mind. While the former he'd managed to achieve, the latter was still imperfect. He did manage to increase his mental capacity. His knowledge was stored in an external Chakra-generating unit, one which he could access instantaneously both as a data resource and as a well of free and unlimited Chakra. While the Chakra was self-regenerating and could fulfill the quotas for even the most expensive of Jutsus, Orochimaru's data storage was of a finite capacity. It was a capacity he could not afford to fill with a wasteful, hundred-thousand year ice-age.

It was one of the factors to his decision to sleep those years away. He would task technological development to others and place his faith in humanity. Humanity would advance far beyond his wildest dreams while he slept. Then, he would wake and collect the fruits of their efforts. With the pace of society moving forward at the speed he'd observed, the world a hundred thousand years into the future should have been ripe with amazing new data.

Nearly a thousand years after the world-shaking Fourth Shinobi War, Orochimaru had put himself to sleep deep in the Earth. It was during this sleep that Furuto, an Uchiha descendant, had taken it upon himself to massacre all those who held Chakra. The agents he'd created, artificial Chakra-wielding sentries, contributed indirectly and irregularly to his data pool and had been the only source to inform him of Furuto's genocide run. After those agents were slaughtered, his knowledge of the outside world had been filled with a ninety-eight thousand year void.

Furuto, that psychopathic mass-killer had not only taken away a fundamental aspect of Orochimaru's experiments, he'd eliminated all traces of the Sharingan along with it.

The only genetic trace left of what had once been abundant in the world now ran only in his blood. Orochimaru was the last wielder of Chakra. Fortunately, while crafting his immortal body, he'd had the foresight to incorporate as many bloodline limits as he could. His body contained many bloodlines, including Uzumaki, Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuuga blood.

Yet, as well-endowed as he was, the only optical bloodline he'd actually been able to awaken was the Byakugan. The benefits it gave him were near-useless. He already had massively powerful sensory capabilities. At the time, it hadn't bothered him. It was a sign of progress. His bloodline-limit project had been on hold anyway and was secondary to his venture into stretching his natural memory-capacity.

Now, far into the future, the project had been put at the fore of his endeavors. Even with Uchiha blood in his veins, he couldn't seem to trigger the Sharingan. Having been alive for so many generations, Orochimaru's emotions had dulled considerably. He was still capable of feeling, but strong hatred and emotional pain were things he'd long lost the ability to feel. Those were negative emotions which served no purpose to him. Ironic, considering his still-running hypothesis. The Sharingan required sharp and deep emotional pain to trigger, his inability to feel those emotions were a setback. Even so, he saw no value in cultivating such emotions in himself. Perhaps he could artificially stimulate them. Emotions were, after all, biochemical in nature. The easiest way would be to examine the natural rise of such emotions and to analyze their effects on a developing dojutsu-user's Chakra circuit with minute detail.

As he sat among the primitive men in their primitive caves, clothing, and lifestyle, Orochimaru could not help but note how much humanity had regressed in his absence. What a pity. Perhaps it was true that even if he had been conscious instead of in stasis, he wouldn't have been powerful enough to stop Furuto, such was the Uchiha descendant's power, but maybe he could have saved some people, hidden them away for future use.

None of that mattered now. Hindsight almost always produced the optimal solution. If primitive cavemen were all he had to work with, then work with them he would.

Creating a synthetic body was an easy task. With his years of experience and experiments on synthesized lifeforms, Orochimaru had been been able to ready a body for habitation without much trouble, infusing it with his own blood to ensure that it inherited the genetic data that it needed.

Giving it life was the greatest challenge. With Shin, it had been easy. the lives of the many living Shin clones were drawn directly from the souls that were trapped within the God Tree, the source of all Chakra. It was a collection which no longer existed.

The clone templates had manifested as White Zetsu, and had been assumed to be cultivated duplicates of Senju Hashirama, first Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. The Fourth Shinobi War and the revival of the goddess, Kaguya, had proven that assumption to be wrong. White Zetsus were the result of the first, successful iteration of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Trapped inside the cocoons of eternal dreams, the bodies of the technique's victims were slowly converted into blank-souls. No longer attached to their bodily memories, these souls, when manifested, took the shape of white plantmen, also known as White Zetsu.

There were no more White Zetsu now. They'd all been used up by Shin.

Without a convenient pool of souls to draw on, he would need to turn to other sources.

And so, during one of the first nights with the primitive clan, he'd singled out his targets.

Casting them into a deep trance with an Illusion Technique, he'd taken them to his lab. There, after forming the genetically engineered bodies that were to be inhabited, he'd begun the more difficult process of transferring their souls from their initial bodies into the synthetic ones. As a final touch, he'd shaped the new bodies into the form they were used to. His machinations were seamless. None of the clanspeople noticed the change, not even his targets.

The first steps of his plans rolled into place from there.

Four hundred years of wielding the Byakugan had given him incredible and unparalleled fine control of its ocular powers. It'd helped him to observe the girl's brain patterns as her mind crumbled. The clan's rejection of who she was had further deteriorated her condition. His denial of her, he knew, would ultimately be what broke her.

And it did. The Chakra's circulation and the chemicals in her mind provided him with ample detail as the girl's eyes swirled into the first stages of the Sharingan.

One single comma. Disappointing.

Still, the fact that she'd even developed the Sharingan at all was definitely a sign of success. As the girl crawled away from where his foot had shoved her, Orochimaru had turned and left. None noticed his departure, as mesmerized as they were by the pitiful girl who was once a respected Marked Hunter of the Mammoth Clan. He'd wanted to test his results immediately.

He had no time for primitive people.

* * *

His daughter was a willful girl.

In gathering, she would stay in the field alongside the older, tougher gatherers, pushing herself to match the rest. Where other children took rest at given opportunities, his daughter drove on alongside him, obstinately trying to keep pace with him. At the end of the day, she would proudly show him the fruits of her labors, which were, unsurprisingly, markedly less than his own. She was still younger and less experienced after all. Much of what she picked ended up being inedible grass. Still, he enjoyed her presence.

In weaving, she had been impatient. She could never sit still, and had more than once thrown her half-woven fabrics to her feet, loudly declaring that she was finished with it, much to the weavers' collective dismay.

In fighting, she was a terrifying force among her peers. Before she'd lost interest in weaving, a boy named Groc had torn her work from her grasps and ripped it apart in jest. She'd shoved him away angrily, and soon the two were brawling. Many had gathered to spectate, and Groc's pride took a large blow that day. After several failed attempts to redeem that pride, Groc learned that the outcast girl was not to be trifled with. Of course, her actions weren't without repercussion, and often brought upon her the wrath of the clan. Whenever his girl caused trouble, his clansmen, failing to elicit from her the desired results of their discipline, would come to him, the girl's father. They'd berate him for being too soft on the uncontrollable troublemaker, calling on him to perform his duties as a father.

It was something he'd loathed to do. He was proud of his headstrong little girl. Still, after hearing so many vicious and often justified charges against her, Ctul, doting as he was, would sometimes feel more shame than pride on the subject of the daughter his mate had bore. Why couldn't she just behave? Why couldn't she just do what she was told? It pained him, and on one particular day, the criticisms finally got to him.

That day, as his little girl followed him out on a gathering trip, complaining about some ordeal over the other children and pestering him with questions, his patience had finally snapped.

Turning on his feet, he'd beaten her across the face, shouting his frustration at her stubbornness. He blamed her. He yelled at her. Maybe it was her and not the children who was being unfriendly, he'd shouted. All his life he'd raised her without complaint. All his life he'd put up with her following by his side. She'd killed her mother at birth and taken away his mate. She should be grateful that he still chose to raise her, and yet all he'd ever received from her was trouble. Where once he was respected, the hunter Ctul had given up that respect to oversee a useless child. The nurses that'd breastfed her had dumped her back to him as soon as they could. No one liked her, and by extension, no one liked him. Why couldn't she just _behave?!_

The more he shouted, the better he felt. He was justified, he told himself. Everyone thought the same. When the elders admonished her, she'd simply ignore them. When the weavers who taught her went wroth at her antics, she'd pretend as if they weren't there. It was what they'd all said of her. His girl was possessed by a wild, untamable spirit. And so, as he threw his grievances at the girl and kicked her to the floor, he had expected her to react as she usually did. After all, she'd never shown any regard to the authorities before.

Her reaction contrasted immensely with what he'd expected. Instead of ignoring him, the girl had stared right into his eyes. She didn't turn away. She didn't run. She didn't talk back. She'd simply stared.

As her eyes filled with silent tears, Ctul could not help but feel needles of guilt crawl across his skin. His daughter had never been one to cry excessively, but that day, she'd shed more tears than she had since she was a tiny baby.

Then, when the guilt fully settled, when he'd finally realized what he'd done, Ctul was instantly consumed with regret. He loved his daughter. She worked hard, and her constant company comforted him.

Standing there, staring at his daughter as she did her best to refuse the tears that fought to escape her, Ctul knew that what he'd done was wrong.

Their relationship was never the same again. His own daughter stopped talking to him, even when they lived in the same circle. She stopped following him, and she refused to even look at him. Conversely, her behavior improved immensely. His clansmen, even one of the Shaman, had come to him in awe. To them, he'd done the impossible. She'd suffered many punishments. Some had beaten her. Others refused her meals or forced upon her harsh, unforgiving tasks, yet she remained obstinate and unchanged. That he'd managed to accomplish what they couldn't do in a single day astounded them.

How did he do it? They asked. It was a question he refused to answer, a story he refused to tell. Seeing that his girl no longer needed him, Ctul rejoined the hunters. He couldn't bear to look upon her. He couldn't bear to see her staring despondently into the fires at night. He went on more hunting trips, returning as infrequently as possible, and ignored his own daughter just as she ignored him. When he returned, he did his best to avoid her. He could tell he'd hurt her. To her, he had been the one constant in her life who did not make her feel unwanted by the others, the one she could rely on to put up with her incessant company and cavalier attitude, and the one who she had wanted to make proud with her efforts at miming his every move.

His once cheerful and energetic daughter had become dull and depressed, and the few times he'd saw her, he was torn by the change that he'd brought upon the once cheery girl. It resurfaced his guilt. He couldn't face her, and so he left her to her own devices, observing her from a distance at best. She'd lost interest in the things she used to enjoy, he'd noticed. Instead of running freely outside in the open air to aid in gathering expeditions like she used to, the girl sat in the cave all day with the weavers who she hated. Even with her behavior improved, many of those she'd spited in the past now took the opportunity to use her newfound docility against her. Despite the way she poured all her old energies into the weaving that had been expected of her previously, the weavers refused to properly teach her. Being naturally unskilled with the art, and never having picked up the skill, her projects ended up miserable tatters. It was also during this period of depression that Groc managed to redeem his honor. The boy bragged loudly of his exploit with such diligence, not a single clan member wasn't made aware of the fact that Groc had beaten the strongest of the children in a fight.

There was nothing Ctul could do. Many seasons later, when he'd finally overcome his guilt to talk to her, his daughter ignored his attempts at re-establishing a familial connection. It was then that he gave up. If his daughter wanted to be subjected to humiliation and suffer on her own, then suffer she would.

The clan would raise her, as it generally did with its young. He was never required to have a hand in the process anyway. And so, in his willful ignorance, he'd failed to catch exactly when his daughter had re-emerged from her cocoon of self-inflicted depression, neither did he catch her developing interest in the tasks of the Hunter. Only when she'd been taken along on one of the hunts, with a Marked Hunter no less, did he finally realize what was going on.

Even though he'd vowed to break his ties with the girl, seeing the spark of interest and fervor in her eyes again had been a relief.

His daughter had found another to follow, another who was willing to accept her willful nature and her stubborn companionship. As luck would have it, the one whom she attached herself to also happened to be a Marked Hunter, a well-respected individual whose merits and strength were lauded greatly.

His daughter was the type to form singular but incredibly strong attachments. He was glad that the attachment was made to a Marked Hunter, and that the woman allowed the girl's company. Atma was a Hunter who even the Shamans held in high esteem. The woman would do good for her daughter. Or so he had thought.

His daughter had always been impressionable. He remembered days when she would follow him around, doing anything that he did to the best of her abilities.

And so, as the Shamans derided his daughter's name and blamed her for Atma's death, for defying the spiritual order, Ctul knew that they were wrong. Atma was the one to blame. Atma was the one who corrupted his daughter. Rahn didn't kill Atma. The woman deserved her death for what she did to Rahn. Of course, no one would believe him. Many of them still remembered his daughter's reputation and despised her. Her recent plight had only re-elicited those feelings. Even when she'd gained her own Mark, something which had given him immeasurable pride, the girl - the woman who she'd become - had been feared and respected, but never loved. Atma, in contrast, had been like Oro - accepted by all, loved by many.

If what his daughter had said about Atma had been true, then her attachment to Oro wasn't really a surprise. Oro was like Atma, but far exceeded the latter in all ways, shape and form. It was Atma's fault that his daughter had become what she was. It was Atma's fault that his daughter was lying dead at this very moment in poor Tet's arms.

"-ignoble death." The Shaman was saying "Disgusting and unacceptable. We will not mourn her. We never mourn the dead, but for this taboo, we will do more. The woman's spirit will not be given the rite of passage. It will only bring taint to the spirit world. And now, a moment of peace." The three Shaman began to hum, and were stopped short by a furious shout from the crowd.

"NO!"

The female Shaman stopped and searched over the crowd with her old eyes. "We are singing to the spirits." She said gravely. "Who dared speak?"

The crowd parted as a man pushed his way to the front. "Rahn did not kill Atma! Atma corrupted her!"

"No. Ctul." The elder male Shaman stood. "Atma would never do such a thing. Atma was Good. Rahn was Bad. She would not have ended her own life if she had been pure. Your daughter is an abomination. Her spirit is evil."

"That's not true." Ctul snarled. "Ctul raised Rahn. Rahn is loud, stubborn, but Rahn is not evil."

A woman to his side, a weaver, gently patted his shoulder. "Ctul is blinded by love for daughter. Indra understands, but Rahn has always been wild, like animal."

"Indra lies." Ctul shoved the woman to the floor. Almost instantly, he was barreled to the ground by his surrounding clanspeople, who only stopped upon a Shaman's behest.  
"Peace!" A few people let up and let go of the man while others restrained him. "Peace, Ctul." The Shaman continued. From what she knew of Ctul, the man had supposedly severed his ties with his daughter. The latter's death had opened up an old wound of guilt that she knew the man carried. It was a delicate situation, but one which she could handle. "Ctul's spirit was hurt from daughter's death, and the Shamans will heal you." She offered kindly. "Be at peace and sing to the spirits."

Slowly, Ctul was released as those around him let him sit up. Calming his breathing, he shook his head as he started to feel the first wave of grief hit him. Secretly, he'd always wanted to talk to his daughter again. Now he didn't have a chance. The Shamans weren't even going give her spirit passage. He wanted to fight, but something held him back. A sea of eyes surrounded him, waiting for his response. Maybe he was wrong. He was the only one who thought Rahn was Good. The girl had killed her own mother and scorned the clan's rules. Yes, he thought, it was time for him to admit to the truth. With clenched teeth, he accepted his daughter's fate. "Ctul will sing."

"Good." The Shaman nodded before resuming her hum with the other two around her.

The spiritual song flowed through the air, and Ctul let it soothe his spirit. Inside, he'd always known what his clanspeople had been telling him to be true. He had been blinded by love, and had let his emotions get the better of him at his daughter's death. She was an abomination. Her admittance to having committed taboo before her death was the ultimate proof: Rahn was a depraved spirit. It was time he accepted that truth and moved on.

* * *

It wasn't that he wasn't happy with the result. On the contrary, the fact that he'd managed to even produce a single comma was a triumph, especially when considering the fact that he'd failed to do even that much in his previous eight hundred conscious years. Still, the single-comma Sharingan was nearly useless.

Despite his grievance, he understood that the Uchiha's ocular bloodline took time to mature.

Pain manifested the Mangekyo Sharingan, the highest level of Sharingan that could be achieved. It was the Mangekyo which had allowed Uchiha Obito to travel through space time, given Uchiha Sasuke control of the instantaneous and unquenchable fires of Amaterasu, provided Uchiha Madara with the ability to split mountains in a single stroke with his flaming Susano'o. But even Uchiha Sasuke, faced with the tragedy of his brother's death, had spent weeks in misery before his eyes had fully converted into the Mangekyo's kaleidoscopic wheel. From what he knew of that period, Uchiha Obito had helped his kinsman develop a hatred to the Hidden Leaf, provoking and finalizing the maturation of said kinsman's eyes.

It wasn't merely pain, but a duality of pain and hatred that was required to trigger the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Orochimaru allowed himself a brief smile as his thoughts drifted into the past, a time when he'd coveted the eyes of one Uchiha Sasuke. It was the first venture in which he'd intentionally fostered that particular emotion. Hatred came easy to the Uchiha. Further, the Sharingan could take years to develop. The hatred had to be enduring. Orochimaru himself had had considerable proof of that.

He was so close now.

The girl had already been pushed into despair. All he had to do now was have her channel her former love and strong devotion into the two that he needed her to feel: burning hatred and sorrow.

Reconfiguring his appearance once more, Orochimaru covered the many kilometers between his lab and the home of the Mammoth clan in a single instant. he immediately noticed a problem.

It was nighttime and the clanspeople were laying in clusters about their fires. A few men - sentries - noticed his entrance and came toward him.

Ignoring their ingratiating greeting, Orochimaru spoke softly in his woman's voice. "Where is Rahn?"

"Rahn-" The first of the men, Goro, started to speak.

"Rahn is with Tet." interrupted another whose name was Ket.

The men shared a glance. "Oro watch the night with us?" Goro offered.

Orochimaru smiled and shook his head, stalking off deeper into the cave. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he could pinpoint his targets perfectly. Tet was sitting alone at their fire-circle, and in his arms was the corpse of the girl.

It was at this moment he realized that he had messed up. Instead of eagerly running off to test the results of his experiments, he should have stayed to make sure his long-term targets were unharmed.  
Orochimaru closed his eyes calmly. He would need to modify his plans. Rahn shouldn't have died yet.. the foolish girl. After a brief moment's thought, his eyes flicked open. With his new plans assured, he walked down the tunnel, ignoring the sleeping people around him, and entered the cavern room.

The situation could be salvaged.

* * *

He sat, staring at her, still unable to process or believe what he was seeing. Her eyes, once full of life, were glazed over, and her blood had pooled thickly around him. Even with all the evidence, he refused to accept that the huntress was dead. The fire flickered, and for a moment, he thought her eyes had moved in the light.

"Rahn?" He called softly for the umpteenth time and, as was the case with his previous calls, the woman made no response. He'd long lost track of the day, but he was pretty sure it was long past time for his circle-mates to turn in and sleep. It meant that they were probably sleeping elsewhere in other fire-circles. He didn't blame them. Their attempts at taking his huntress away from him were met with fierce resistance and anger. He'd scared them away, and hadn't even attended Rahn's spiritual passing. It was mostly his fault, but part of it was also theirs. They'd pushed her and pushed her all her life. Normally he wouldn't have been so worried. She'd endured worse. He was, however, acutely aware that Oro's words had been what finally drove Rahn to do what she did to kill- no.. to _attempt_ to kill herself. She wasn't dead. Of course not. She was right there in his arms.

Any time now, she'd sit up. Any time now..

"Tet." A voice suddenly called him out of his trance.

He turned his head up soullessly in response. "Oro.."

"Is Rahn..?" The woman stopped, letting him fill in the question.

Tet hugged his huntress to him possessively. "No. Rahn is not dead. She's not. Just wait. Rahn will be better soon."

Oro sauntered over and knelt in front of him, her eyes on Rahn's still form. "What happened?"

At the question, Tet suddenly remembered the cause of Rahn's current state. "Rahn loved Oro," He snarled. "And Oro destroyed her."

Oro looked at him with a questioning look. "Oro.. destroyed Rahn?"

Tet gently laid his huntress to the floor. His entire lower body was soaked in her blood. Oro's eyes were large as he glared down at her. " _You killed Rahn._ " He bit out furiously.

"I.. killed Rahn?"  
With a growl, Tet kicked the woman, in the same way that he'd seen her kick Rahn. Oro fell to her side, unmoving. Tet felt a grim satisfaction and was about to do further damage when Oro sobbed. "Rahn was Oro's friend. Oro didn't want this. Rahn was Oro's friend. Oro didn't know. Oro didn't know that Rahn wanted to.. that Rahn wanted to _mate_ her. Oro just wanted to be Rahn's friend. Oro didn't know.."

Tet narrowed his eyes. "Rahn was Oro's friend.." he repeated. "Oro did not want Rahn like Rahn did not want Tet." The realization gave him pause. He couldn't be angry at Oro. She was blameless. It was Atma then. If what Rahn had said was true, then it was Atma that had given her the idea that she could - he shivered - _mate_ other women. It was Atma's fault.

Tet closed his eyes as he let his anger be redirected elsewhere. "I am sorry."

Immediately, he was pulled into an embrace. "Oro is sorry too." The woman sniffed. "Oro is sorry that Rahn is dead."

Tet sat numbly as he let the words finally sink in. Rahn is dead. He'd admitted that himself when he'd blamed Oro for killing her. Rahn is dead. Tet wailed loudly in grief and clutched Oro to his chest. As he held her in his arms, his resistance failed, and finally, after having denied it for so long, Tet cried his sorrow away as Oro comforted him.

* * *

They went out into the cold night together. The entire camp was asleep except for the sentries, who let them pass wordlessly. It seemed not everyone disregarded Rahn's demise. For that, Tet was glad. He was also glad Oro was with him. She was the only kindred spirit who understood him. She cared about Rahn, as a friend. Oro also seemed to care about him. Without her, Tet would have found it difficult to move on.

And as he carried Rahn's body out into the chilly night with Oro walking ahead of him, he could not help but admire her, even in his mourning. For once, the Shaman's words did not apply. Rahn's spirit had not been given passage. He would never see her again, not even in the spirit world, thus he was entitled to mourn her. It was the least he could do.

Oro stopped and turned to face him, her beautiful eyes full of sorrow. "Here."

Tet let his eyes roam his surroundings. The forest of frost-covered trees swayed in the breeze of the an icy wind. Besides the wind, he could also hear the sounds of various critters bustling about in nighttime activity. It was a place Rahn would've loved to be, a place of wild spirits where she belonged.

Tet fought off another round of tears, not wanting to appear weak in front of Oro. He didn't care that she'd already seen him at his most vulnerable. He didn't want her to see that side of him again. Instead, he lowered Rahn against a tree, making sure to give her enough angle to see the stars.

He started to leave, navigating by the moonlight, when he realized that Oro wasn't coming with him. "Oro?" He called. "Oro come?" The woman stood in the darkness. For some reason, even with the almost complete lack of light, Tet realized that he could see her, like a cat in the night, he could somehow make out her form. "Oro?"

The woman shifted in place and sat next to Rahn's body. "Oro stay and mourn."

Tet's eyes widened. Oro was like him. He smiled sadly. He couldn't blame Rahn for loving her. It was not Oro's fault, he told himself once more. With the thought in mind, he raised his voice. "Tet is leaving then."

The hunter let his words hang in the air, waiting for a reply and heard only a gentle sob. Guiltily, Tet felt glad that Rahn had another who grieved her like he did. It wasn't that he enjoyed others' suffering, but somehow, the sound of Oro's tears made him feel better.

He turned on his feet and left, his entire body feeling drained. He didn't even care about the fact that he was practically smothered in Rahn's blood. There was nothing more he wanted than to sleep and shut out the day's event. Maybe he'd wake up and find that the day's events were all nothing more than a terrible dream.

With morbid hope, the hunter trailed back alone.

* * *

As Tet walked away, Orochimaru lifted the corpse's eyelids to verify what he knew to be true. Even in death, the Sharingan remained in the girl's eyes. Letting the girl's eyelids fall shut, Orochimaru sat still and extended his senses outwards, enveloping a sea of land into his sensory range. Seventy kilometers out, he found a few stragglers, some lone humans sleeping away in distant cover. They were just what he needed.

He stepped silently into their midst. The one scout they'd left awake to warn them of danger would later tell the others that their companion had been whisked away by a spirit. So sudden was her disappearance that he hadn't even been given the chance to react. An unseen and unstoppable force had taken one of their comrades and that, more than anything, scared the scout into numb silence. In that dark night, Orochimaru took hold of and abducted a female form. She didn't even have time to scream.

Back in the forest, he dropped the abducted girl next to the corpse sitting against the tree. Not knowing where she was, the girl scrambled away blindly in fear. Orochimaru laughed. and strolled slowly toward the girl who inadvertently bumped against the corpse in her scuffling movement.

Eyes barely adjusted to the dark, the girl was blissfully unaware both of what she'd just touched and of the woman figure stalking toward her. "What do you want?!" She whimpered.

With a mind toward mercy, Orochimaru cast the girl into a happy illusion. A smile crept across her face and she stopped struggling.

Orochimaru paused for a moment. Ever since Sasuke, he'd told himself that he'd given up on convoluted schemes. Now, with nothing and no one to compare to his abilities, he was almost guaranteed to succeed anyway, even with several degrees of complexities in his planning.

Stepping into his lab, he retrieved one of the extra synthetic bodies he'd made, and stepped back into the forest in which his targets lay.

He carefully shaped the frame to match Rahn's previous form. Then, blurring his hands through a short series of seals, he invoked the technique that had been perfected for him by his protege - a technique that was used to great devastation in the Fourth Shinobi War ninety-nine thousand years ago.

" _Impure World Resurrection!_ "

The living girl, trapped in her illusion, disappeared without a single sound as her body took on the shape of another. Rahn's soul fitted into the new body.

Having retrieved the woman's soul from the Pure World, Orochimaru tore that soul out. The Impure world body and the girl who it originally belonged to died. Then, taking the soul that he held, Orocchimaru jammed it into the synthesized body that he'd shaped in Rahn's form beforehand.

Then, finally, he changed himself. Some Shadow Clones and a simple Genjutsu Illusion should be enough to serve his needs.

* * *

An owl hooted, alerting her of her surroundings. Instantly, she opened her eyes, her instincts on high alert. She was outside. In the cold and alone. Was this the spirit realm?

Her eyes adjusted quickly to the dark. It looked no different from the world as she'd known. She took one step and immediately wrapped her arms around herself. It was cold, and she wasn't wearing nearly enough to stave it off.

She licked her lips and swallowed before putting her hands slowly to her chest to feel the heart beating inside. She was.. alive?

Rahn looked down at her hands. It was too dark to see. Peripherally, she registered a small glow up ahead, high up in a not-so-distant tree. Confused and slightly scared, she crept toward the small, ethereal light, her vision gaining sudden clarity as she strained her eyes to focus.

It was the small outline of children's bodies, lined up on various branches at different heights along the massive tree.

Heart hammering in her chest, she approached the children with as much stealth as she could muster. As she got closer, she noticed something which terrified her immensely. She was sure she'd made no sound yet every child seemed to be staring at her, their white, opaque frames glowing eerily.

" _ **Rahn.**_ " A voice spoke directly in her head. Rahn's heart leapt twice in blatant fear. At the foot of the illuminated tree sat an ancient-looking man who glowed brighter than all the others.

"What are you?" She asked, feigning a confidence she did not have.

The man stood to his full height. Although ancient, he was easily twice Groc's size. " _ **You do not recognize me? You, of the clan which sings its praises to me at the end of every journey, after every hunt?**_ "

Sudden comprehension dawned on her. "Great Spirit!" Rahn threw herself to her knees. "Why is Rahn here?"

" _ **Does Rahn know where here is?**_ " Up in the trees, the children started to giggle.

"The spirit realm?" More of the children joined in the giggling and Rahn frowned up at them, only to worsen their mockery of her.

" _ **No.**_ " The Great Spirit chuckled mirthfully. " _ **Take another guess.**_ " The man's eyes twinkled as he waited for her response.

She paused for a moment as she considered her experiences up to this point. "The human realm?" She answered weakly.

The Spirit nodded

She gaped at the Spirit who seemed greatly amused. "But why?"

The air suddenly grew colder, if that were possible. The children's giggling stopped abruptly and the Spirit's kindly expression melted. " _ **The Clan of Mammoth.. has offended me greatly.**_ "

Even having been scorned by her clan, she'd grown up with them, and, despite the friction between them, she loved her people. The Great Spirit's denunciation brought back those feelings. She didn't want her clan harmed. Braving her fear, she looked into the angry spirit's eyes, hoping to appease it. "And what has the Clan of Mammoth done to offend you, Great Spirit?"

The Spirit laughed coldly. " _ **Tell me, Rahn. Is it wrong that you mated Atma? That you desired to mate Oro?**_ "

Rahn stopped in thought as the events before her death surfaced in her memories. All the clan's scorn, the Shaman's conviction that she was wrong cluttering her head. She didn't know. The Shamans had always been the ones to give spiritual guidance and their answers had been unanimous. Rahn put on a facade of conviction. "Yes."

The Spirit nodded. " _ **Your spirit is tainted, Rahn.**_ "

Rahn nodded back. She didn't know what else to do. To hear the Great Spirit himself deny her shook her deeply. What was to become of her?

" _ **And yet..**_ " The Spirit continued, all traces of kindliness gone. Above, the children shared his contempt and glared down at her. " _ **And yet the clan leaves you with me. They refused to sing for your passing. Rahn cannot go to Spirit Realm. Rahn is tainted.**_ "

Rahn bowed her head at the Spirit's words. "Rahn is sorry."

" _ **The Great Spirit does not want Rahn to remain at his side.**_ " The old man sat back down. " _ **So Rahn will be given one chance to clean her spirit of filth.**_ " Rahn flinched at the last word as she recalled another instance in which she'd heard it.

"Rahn will follow the Great Spirit's guidance." The huntress said solemnly.

The Great Spirit hummed in acknowledgement. " _ **Rahn will return to her clan, and Rahn will become mate of Tet and give Tet what he deserves.**_ "

Outwardly, Rahn nodded in quick acceptance. Inside, she was torn. Even the Great Spirit was rejecting her. Is this what happened to those who let themselves become tainted? "As the Great Spirit commands." she heard herself say.

The Spirit's kindly smile returned. " _ **Good Rahn. Do not waste Great Spirit's kindness.**_. _**Tor**_." A child vanished from the tree and reappeared at the Great Spirit's side. " _ **Show Rahn the way back to the clan.**_ "

The child, Tor, nodded. "Come." He said.

Rahn stood. "Wait." She called desperately as the children started to fade one by one. "What happened to Atma's spirit?"

" _ **Atma?!**_ " The Spirit roared. " _ **Atma tricked the clan to giving her passing. Atma has been removed from the Spirit Realm and wanders the Human Realm as a Spirit. Alone. Forever. She will not see her family or her loved ones again.. and no, Rahn will not be able to find her. Do not think that thought again. Now leave.**_ "

With that, the Spirit was gone, leaving the child, Tor, to be the only trace of her encounter. Tor turned away and began to walk, and Rahn stumbled after him.

As they walked, Rahn grew curious. She understood the Great Spirit's presence, but what was with the children? It was not often one got to meet the deity of one's worship, and Rahn was full of questions. "Why do children follow the Great Spirit?" She asked.

The child ignored her and walked faster.

Rahn stopped in place. Even the spirits held her in contempt. She was trapped. Death was no escape. Even the Great Spirit himself..

Her lips quivered, the rejection of her existence finally overwhelming her. Rahn cried silently, letting the tears she'd been withholding finally fall loose from its container. Atma was the only one who understood her, and Atma was gone. She missed her fellow huntress. She missed the woman's presence, her understanding, and her love. Immediately, Rahn felt guilty. Her thoughts were tainted. She needed to drive them from her mind.

As if noticing her sudden pause, her guide stopped a distance away. "Come." He said tonelessly.

Rahn nodded numbly and followed.

* * *

Tetma yawned. She hated being night sentry, especially for the late-shifts. If she had her way, she would be asleep all the way into the morning.. undisturbed. The Others never came this way, and had long learned to avoid the Mammoth clan's caverns. There was nothing to sentry for, and yet here she was, standing the night away and not getting sleep.

A distance away, she could see the other sentries. They were spread enough to cover most of the entrance grounds, but not enough to be within talking distance. Tetma stared into the dark forest glumly and froze in place.

From the darkness, she could see two glowing red eyes moving toward her position. She turned a quick glance to the sentries to her right and left. They hadn't noticed it yet.

Holding out her spear, she collected her courage. All thoughts of sleep and boredom scattered away and was replaced by a nervous wariness. "Who's there?" She challenged.

The sentries to her sides noticed her change in stance and gathered to provide reinforcement.

"Tetma." Came the reply to her query.. a woman's voice. "You know me."

Tetma lowered her spear. She recognized that voice, but that couldn't be. "Tortured spirit, leave us in peace. The clan does not welcome you."

"Tetma." The voice drew closer and the spirit walked into the firelight. "Rahn is not a spirit."

"Rahn?" The sentry to her side blurted.

Tetma gulped. Marked Hunters were well-known among the clan. The red-eyed demon's identity was unmistakable. "Rahn. Go away."

Rahn shook her head. "Rahn will not go away. The Great Spirit has returned life to her. Rahn must speak with Shaman elders."

"Where is Rahn's Mark?" The other sentry asked.

Rahn stopped and put a hand up to her cheek. She gasped almost inaudibly as if only discovering the Mark's absence herself. "The Great Spirit took Rahn's Mark.." she whispered.

Tetma stared disconcerted into the woman's unnaturally red eyes. Rahn did not have red eyes. "Tetma will wake the elders." She stalked off hurriedly, leaving the two other sentries to hold this 'Rahn' in place. Hopefully the Shaman elders would know what to do with the dead woman.

* * *

The Shaman woke slowly, annoyed to have been waken so late in the night. "What is it, Tetma?"

Tetma stared into their tired eyes. If she ever got the power to do so, she would put these lazy Shamans on night sentry just to see how annoyed they'd be to be woken not just this one night, but every night. Storing away that thought, she pointed toward the cave entrance. "Rahn's spirit is there. It is haunting us and wishes to speak with Shaman elders."

The elder female Shaman groaned and stood. "If this is a trick, Tetma, we will be greatly displeased."

Tetma nodded. "No trick." She quickly led the Shaman to the entrance. To her relief, Rahn was still there. "See? No trick."

"Elders." Rahn announced as they approached. "Let Rahn speak."

* * *

Ctul looked with pity upon the man. Of all the clanspeople, Tet had been affected the most by his daughter's death. The man had clutched to his daughter and sat in a pool of her blood all day. Now his daughter was standing next to him, her blood still staining his chest and his legs. Rahn wasn't worth the trouble nor did she deserve this second chance that'd been given her. Ctul still loved his daughter of course. He would always love his daughter. That didn't mean he couldn't or didn't despise her too.

Tet seemed to not share those thoughts. The young hunter stood next to his daughter, happy and seemingly oblivious to what she was or what she'd done. Rahn, to his disgust, stood demurely. Even with their separation, he could still read his daughter's various moods. It was clear she didn't like the arrangement that had been forced upon her by the Great Spirit. Ctul glared at his ungrateful spawn.

Tet had always done his best to win his daughter. If anything, the man was just as stubborn as the girl, but no matter what he did, she'd deny him, turn him down and wear away his spirit. Ctul thought back to the past. Many seasons of watching Tet suffer for his wretched daughter had made him sympathetic to the younger man. He'd never questioned Rahn's lack of mates, and thought nothing of it. She was a Marked Hunter and was free to do as she willed.

The truth behind her neglect had shattered that sentiment. The more he thought about it, the more he despised her. Every memory of her had become tainted. Every interaction she'd made were now suddenly cast through the stark light of her obscenity.

Poor Tet. To have become so enamored with such a person.. Ctul was half inclined to blame the situation on some Spirit, one that probably enjoyed creating pain and tragedy on unsuspecting human targets. If such a spirit did exist, it was probably here among them at that very moment, waiting to reap the fruits of its victims' inevitable demise.

* * *

Tet received his blessing in front of the entire clan. It was one of the happiest moments in his short life. Rahn had been returned to life by the Great Spirit. It was a miracle beyond miracles. She'd also finally accepted him. Even if the acceptance was, according to the Shamans, a machination of the Great Spirit for her atonement, Tet wasn't about to throw away this chance to show Rahn just how much he needed her and how much she could learn to need him.

He was so happy that he was willing to overlook the changes that had come over her. Rahn's behavior had been subdued and her willingness to mate him had seemed out of the ordinary. More, she had lost her Hunter's Mark. Apparently the Great Spirit had taken it from her.

He knew how much pride she took in that Mark and how much it'd meant to her. It was a symbol of what she'd had with Atma. Tet wasn't a fool. Rahn may be stubborn and difficult, but she never spoke false. He'd come to terms with the truth. Rahn had mated Atma, then she'd wanted to mate Oro. It was a past that he just had to accept without grievance. The Great Spirit had given her to him. That was all that mattered.

The loss of her Mark was a small cost to pay for the life she'd been given in return.

Tet had never been more heartfelt as they sung to the Great Spirit. Then, when the clan dispersed, he'd taken her hands gently. "Rahn. Come."

Rahn nodded quietly and followed. Something in the back of his mind told him that this wasn't the fierce huntress that he'd loved. He ignored that voice, letting his happiness overrule it by overwhelming margins. In time, Rahn would be herself again, and in time, she would learn to be happy with him. It was a good thought, one which he desperately needed to believe.

* * *

Even when Atma was alive, Tet had stuck to her. The man was more stubborn than she'd thought possible, chasing her all the way to her death. Now that she considered it, such a devotion should have frightened her.

Rahn did not want to mate Tet. It was something he could not seem to understand no matter how many times she'd made that known to him. It was a reckless and psychotic pursuit on his part.

Still, his attentions had been flattering, and over the years, Tet had come to be a friend who she could rely on and trust. More than once, she'd wished she could do for him what he desired, but it simply didn't feel right. She was a Marked Hunter. She was free to make her own decisions, and so she had, even knowing how much it hurt him.

It was strange, having a mate. As Tet sat her down at their shared circle, Rahn steeled her resolve. She would give Tet what he deserved, just as the Great Spirit had commanded. She would reject herself.

She would learn to love Tet the way she loved Oro. _No.._ She didn't love Oro, she told herself. It was a tainted Rahn that had carried such thoughts. The Great Spirit had given her life so that she could remove that taint and carry herself as she should. And she would. Rahn did not love Oro, nor did Rahn love Atma.

Such were her thoughts as Tet reached a tentative hand forward. "Will Rahn mate with Tet?" He asked almost hesitantly. It was a question he'd posed many times in the past.

Rahn released a breath of humor, a brief chuckle.

Tet narrowed his eyes and waited with bated breath.

There was no reason for him to ask her permission. Rahn no longer had the Mark. The choice was out of her hands. Besides, the Shaman had already given Tet the blessing he needed. The fact that he even bothered to ask made Rahn want to love him all the more.

No. She didn't _want_ to love him. She already _did_ love him, just as he loved her. Drawing upon her new resolve, she spoke with conviction. "Yes."

' _Yes'_ the word echoed in his head. Tet smiled and then broke into laughter. It was the answer he'd been waiting for all these years. To finally hear it from her lips made him want to run and shout for joy. He loved her. He loved Rahn more than he loved the swaying green trees, the clean morning air or the infinite specks of starlight in the sky. He loved Rahn more than he loved to hunt. He loved her more than the clan itself. He loved her more than he knew what to do with. And she, in turn, was learning to love him.

Still smiling, Tet laid his mate to the stone floor, gliding his hand across her chest and down her belly.

Rahn giggled and squirmed. "Tet tickles."

Tet chuckled as he slowly lifted the mammoth skin off his beloved huntress. After removing the last of her layers, he paused to examine her body. It was exactly as he'd expected. Rahn was beautiful.

Lying on her back, Rahn stared up at him with wide eyes. After a long moment of silent wait, she began to worry. "Tet?"

Tet shivered at the question. Without further delay, he dropped his own skins, letting them fall around him. Then, pulling her hips up with his hands, he took her.

The crowd of spectators that had gathered to watch the mating cheered.

* * *

She woke feeling sore. The night had been long and tiring. She'd done her best to keep up with Tet, whose boundless energy seemed to keep him pumping into her long after the crowds had dispersed. Tet had savored every piece of her with care and affection. It'd drained her beyond exhaustion, but she'd endured. She'd done her duty and given herself to Tet. For her to have lasted so long, she must have enjoyed it. She was sure of it. That must be the reason.

A scuffling sound came from her side and, lifting Tet's arm from around her back, Rahn turned her head to catch Oro staring at her. Even as the dark-haired woman looked away, Rahn felt an unintentional heat kindle within her belly.

How long had Oro been watching her? Scooting away from Tet, she quickly covered herself with her skins, not daring to risk a glance at Oro. Peripherally, Rahn could still see the woman, and suddenly, she realized that Oro must have been watching her with the crowd when Tet had taken her. The thought brought her blood rushing to her face. Sharing the same circle, she distantly recalled that Oro had stayed too, even when most of the other clanspeople had left.

Rahn pinched her wrist, twisting the skin to clear her mind. Oro did not love her and she did not love Oro.

Tet was the one she loved.

Standing, the huntress took a fat-fueled torch and walked out the cave room, down the dark tunnel, towards the river basin deep inside the cavern complex.

 _Stupid Rahn._ She chided as she walked. Behind her, she could hear the soft patter of footsteps. Someone was following her. Wheeling on her feet, her heart skipped to the sight of Oro coming to a halt.

Rahn suddenly recalled the words that had been uttered to her not long ago. ' _You disgust me._ ' Rahn pursed her lips and glared at the woman who had broken her heart before. "Oro.. what do you want?"

Oro visibly flinched at the sharp tone. "Oro is-" The woman began and then, as if collecting her thoughts, she paused before continuing. "Oro is happy to see Rahn again."

There was a moment of silence as Rahn stared into Oro's sincere-looking eyes, her mind a scattered mess as she tried to process what she felt for Oro now. Throwing all thoughts to the wind, she turned away wordlessly and resumed her march into the deeper recesses of the cave.

Again, she heard the patter of feet. "Oro." She said as kindly as she could. "Go away."

She received no response, but the sound of Oro's feet on the cold stone of the cave floor continued to pursue her.

' _Abomination.'_

' _Filth.'_

' _You disgust me.'_

Rahn once again turned, this time in anger. "Oro! Leave!" Rahn glared, resolving to stay where she was until the woman had left.

Completely disregarding her request, Oro walked hesitantly forward, stopping a short distance in front of her. To her great disgust, Rahn felt her heart speed up with excitement. The traitor.

"Rahn is Oro's first friend."

"Friend?!" Rahn laughed mirthlessly. She walked up to Oro, whose face was the picture of guilt. Then, she threw a hand forcefully across Oro's beautiful cheeks. "Filth!" She snarled, then slapped the woman again. "You disgust me!"

"Oro is sorry." The woman cried, tears rolling out of her eyes.

Rahn's anger abated and suddenly she felt incredibly tired despite having just woken. "Why?" She whispered. "Why did Oro lie? Why did she let Rahn chase her?"

Oro peered at her with large, pretty eyes. "Oro thought Rahn was joking."

Rahn blinked. So everything she'd said, all her hints, tease and affections had been part of a joke.. That was hard to believe. "Joking.." she laughed. "Oro.. was joking?!"

Suddenly, Oro had closed the distance between them and was hugging her. "Oro didn't know. She did not want Rahn to die. Rahn is Oro's friend." The woman sobbed. "Oro is sorry. Rahn is not an abomination.. Oro was wrong."

Feeling the woman pressed against her and hearing those words of acceptance, Rahn lost her anger and reservation. Slowly, she circled her own arms around Oro's back. No. Oro was not the one who was wrong. It was her own fault that she'd wanted to mate Oro. She couldn't blame Oro. All the fault was hers. Oro did not deserve the harsh treatment that she was being given.

"Oro.." Rahn said quietly as she returned the woman's affections. "Oro is still Rahn's friend." Oro replied by squeezing her more tightly. Rahn closed her eyes. "Please. Oro should not.. touch Rahn."

"Why?" Oro asked innocently.

"Because.." Rahn hugged the woman more tightly. To have the one she loved be so close and yet so distant hurt her more than not having her there at all. Rahn's voice went weak as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Rahn is.." _tainted,_ she finished in her thoughts.

Rahn pushed the woman, breaking their contact. She did not love Oro. She did _not_ love Oro.

"Please." Rahn begged. "Go away." With that she took up her torch and left, praying that Oro wouldn't follow her again.  
Despite all that had happened, despite the Great Spirit's warnings, and despite knowing the result of her crime, Rahn still wanted Oro. They were right. She was tainted, filthy.. an abomination.

As she washed herself in the cold underground river, Rahn began to feel a despair weighing on her soul. It was disgusting. It was censured by the clan. The Great Spirit himself condemned her behavior. She was mates with Tet. She should be grateful for the Spirit's benevolence.

Rahn hung her head in the half-dark of the torchlight feeling sick with self-loathing.

Suddenly, the light was extinguished and she was all alone in the dark.

She stood absolutely still. The torch had enough fuel to last twice as long as she'd needed it to. It shouldn't have gone out.

Maybe the Great Spirit was giving her a warning.

"Rahn."

Her heart did a triple flip. "Oro?"

Suddenly, she felt something sting her neck. Her vision instantly went hazy. She had to get away. Running on her instinct of flight, she managed two steps before finally falling forward and losing herself to the darkness.

* * *

Tet woke and stretched, feeling slightly hungry. He lay back down, not feeling like getting up yet. Nearby, he could hear Groc snoring away the early morning.

A flash of memory struck him. Images of the day before played hazily in his head. He grinned and looked around for her - for his mate; a feeling of love swelled in his heart.

She must've woken early, he mused as he failed to find her. He did, however, manage to see Oro walking toward the circle.

He greeted her cheerfully.

Oro smiled. "Does Tet want to know where Rahn is?"

Tet narrowed his eyes in curiosity. "Where is Rahn?"

Oro stepped away, speaking as she walked. "Come with Oro."

Tet got up to follow.

"Groc come too." declared a loud, assertive voice.

Oro stopped in place and turned to face her mate. "Groc stay. Prepare for hunt."

Groc frowned. "Groc come."

Oro gave Groc a smile. "Oro and Rahn prepared a surprise only for Tet. Groc stay."

The large man growled and stomped toward the mate who he still hadn't actually mated yet. That fact in itself angered him greatly. He wasn't about to let himself be pushed around. "Groc come!" He asserted as he took one of Oro's arms in his massive hands. He held her with as strong a grip as he could muster. "If Groc no come, Oro no leave."

Still smiling gently, Oro plucked Groc's hand off her arm. Groc's eyes widened in surprise as he struggled futilely to maintain his grip. With a roar he swung his other arm at Oro's head.

Oro ducked under his arm and before his fist could land, she'd cuffed him with a fist of her own, jarring several teeth out of place and causing him to fall to the floor. He flailed uselessly as his pretty little mate put a foot on his chest, pinning him in place.

The woman leaned in close, holding his arms down with her hands. "Groc stay." she said, licking her lips playfully.

Groc felt his loins heat up at being so close to his stunningly beautiful mate. He tested his arms, trying with all his strength to break the woman's hold. Then, giving up, he grinned. "Oro stay too. Stay and mate with Groc." He offered.

"No. Oro has surprise to show Tet."

Groc grumbled before finally assenting. "Groc give Oro permission."

Oro nodded. She released him and turned to Tet.

This was his chance! Groc shot up with a speed which belied his size and made a swipe at his woman. " _No tell Groc what to do!_ " He shouted.

Oro turned on her feet and threw a fist into Groc's stomach. The large man immediately doubled over with a wet cough.

"Stay." Oro said gently as she sent him sliding across the floor toward his sleeping spot with a shove of her feet. Groc whimpered in pain and moved no more.

Tet could only stare as Oro turned to him cheerfully. "Tet come?"

He nodded. Oro was strong.

* * *

"Where did Oro learn to be so strong?" Tet asked as they strolled down the tunnels together.

"Oro not strong. Groc is weak."

"Groc? Weak?" He said incredulously. "Groc stronger than Tet!"

"Then Tet is weak too." Oro replied lightly.

Tet laughed. "Groc and Tet both have the Mark. We are not weak."

Oro chuckled softly in response. Silence fell between them as they continued to walk. Oro moving ahead and Tet following behind. Tet let his eyes wander from Oro's shoulders down to her shapely legs and hips.

Once again, his mind returned to a thought he'd had earlier before. He could understand why Rahn would love Oro. Oro was hard not to love. Everything about her was perfect. She was strong, stronger than even Groc. She was kind, always willing to share and able to understand those around her. It was Oro who'd helped him cope with the pain of Rahn's death before the huntress was returned to them. She was incredibly smart. Unlike Rahn, he hadn't been there to watch her progressively learn their language. He simply remembered when he'd first met her, when she was still asking to know simple words like 'cave' or 'fruit'. If he were to be honest, he'd thought her quite stupid then. Now, it was hard to imagine an Oro that didn't know how to speak. She was easily one of the most eloquent in their circle.

It was as if she'd always been one of them - a natural member of the clan of Mammoth.

Tet wasn't stupid. He knew that it was likely Rahn still wanted to mate her. It was something he couldn't help think about as she pretended to be pleased by his ministrations, as she tried to please _him_ when they'd lain together. He knew her too well, and Rahn wasn't a very good liar anyway. It hurt him knowing that he couldn't satisfy her, that he could never satisfy her.

To his own surprise, he'd come to terms with that fact rather quickly. Having finally taken the huntress of his dreams, he couldn't find it in himself to be as disgusted as he knew he should be at her desires. She was just like him in that regard. They both desired the same form. He could understand her perfectly. The only difference between them was that she shared the very form of those she desired. How that difference made his desire acceptable and hers unacceptable was beyond him.

Despite knowing that the clan, the Shamans and even the Great Spirit himself rejected her, Tet couldn't see a reason for _why_ they all shunned her. It didn't make sense to him at all.

He loved Rahn. He was happy to have Rahn for a mate, and he wanted Rahn to be happy too. There was only one way he could think of at that moment that would make that possible.

Tet would take Oro as a second mate.. for Rahn and for himself. Oro was very beautiful after all.

Of course, he'd have to challenge Groc. Since Groc hadn't actually mated Oro, the blessing that he'd received could still change hands.

No matter what the clan thought, Rahn had already given him what he deserved, exactly as she'd said the Great Spirit had told her to do. The Great Spirit hadn't said that he couldn't give _her_ what _she_ deserved too, and Rahn deserved to be happy.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized that he and Oro had been moving non-stop for a good period of time now. He had no idea where he was. "Where is Oro taking us?"

"Tet not worry. Oro is not lost." Oro laughed her pretty laugh. "Trust Oro."

Tet nodded.

After wandering after Oro by torchlight, he noticed a glow further down the cavern. It was a chamber, and he could see the glow of warm fire.

They entered the room, and Tet stopped in confusion. Laying on a flat, elevated piece of stone, Rahn was bound and unconscious. He felt a sudden pain on his neck. "Oro. What-?" His vision blurred and he slumped to the floor as all light left his eyes.

* * *

With an Earth jutsu, he sealed the walls of the tunnel shut. The clan could search for however long they liked. They would never find the place.

He paused to examine his two subjects as he readied himself for what he was to do next.

* * *

First came awareness. She was awake.

She raised a hand to rub her heavy eyes and gave a cry. She couldn't move her arms?

Lifting her eyelids groggily, she noticed that she was surrounded by many torches that only illuminated a small space in what she knew was a massive cave. Outside the ring of torches, the firelight extended a short radius outward before being consumed by natural darkness. She couldn't even see the ceiling

Turning her head left to right, she saw that her wrists were been bound by a series of rope-like substance. The same was true of her ankles. She was trapped. To her side, she could see Tet in a similar situation.

"Tet!" She cried. The man stirred.

Trying to escape, Rahn pulled with all her considerable strength but to no avail. After a long moment of struggle, she lay limp, tired from her exertion and from the pain which chafed at her wrists.

"Tet, wake up! Tet!"

After many calls, the man slowly regained his consciousness and opened his eyes. "Rahn?" Noticing his bonds, Tet started struggling. "Oro!" He yelled. "Where is Oro?!"

"Oro?" Rahn looked around searchingly. Before waking here, she recalled having heard Oro's voice. Then she'd felt something sting her. Now she was here. Rahn put the dots together and looked seriously at her mate. "Did Oro bring Tet here too?"

"Yes." A third voice interceded. "Oro did bring Tet." The two struggled as they turned their eyes toward the source of the voice. From the darkness outside of the firelight, Oro stepped forward.

The two captives spoke simultaneously.

"Oro, why?"

"Let us go."

Ignoring their words, Oro moved to stand at Rahn's side. Rahn's stared up at the woman with apprehension. "What is Oro doing?"

"Rahn." The woman intoned heavily, her eyes glaring straight into Rahn's own. "Leave the Clan with Oro. Oro and Rahn will travel together."

Rahn felt her heart do a somersault. What Oro was offering was what she'd hoped would happen before Oro had kicked her away.. before she'd tried to.. to kill herself. Now she knew better. The Great Spirit had returned her to life and given her a second chance. She was mated with Tet. Even if she left with Oro, it was clear that Oro did not want her. Otherwise, the woman wouldn't have kicked her away and called her those names. "Why?"

Oro smiled. She leaned forward and gently kissed Rahn's cheeks. The huntress shivered and then, too surprised to struggle, Rahn let Oro gently place her lips on her own. Then, Oro kissed her chin, her ear, the side of her neck and further down, every touch leaving a tingle on her skin.

And then it stopped, just as suddenly as it had begun. Oro's touch was exactly what she'd wanted for the past months.. it was exactly what she'd needed, and it was hardly enough.

"Come with Oro."

"No!" Tet yelled. "Tet will challenge Groc and take Oro as second mate! Then Rahn and Oro can.. can.." He stopped, unable to finish his sentence. The man struggled against his bonds once more, crying as he failed to break them. "Rahn.. don't leave Tet. Please."

"Rahn will not leave Tet." Rahn replied with as much assurance as she could muster. "The Great Spirit won't allow it. Rahn will obey the Great Spirit and give Tet what he deserves. Tet is a man. Tet should not cry."

Through his tears, Tet smiled. His mate's words putting his heart at ease. He turned his attention to their captor. "Oro. Let us go. Tet will take Oro to be second mate. The Great Spirit says Rahn needs to give Tet what he deserves.. Tet deserves a happy Rahn. Oro can make Rahn more happy than Tet can."

Orochimaru laughed. It seems the primitive people hadn't regressed as far as he'd thought. At least they still knew how to put together a coherent and convincing plea. "If Tet will fight for blessing, then Oro will stay."

Slowly, he untied the ropes that held the girl in place. "Rahn." He said. "Let Tet free. Oro needs to collect torches."

Rahn nodded and stepped gingerly down from the stone table on which she'd been bound.

Tet felt a wave of joy and relief overwhelm him as he watched his huntress approach him. Rahn had chosen to stay. She'd chosen to stay with him. At that moment, the hunter couldn't have loved his huntress more. He'd do anything for her. He was willing to defy the clan and even the Great Spirit himself if necessary. More than anything, Rahn deserved to be happy.

Nothing could have prepared him for the spear which suddenly protruded from her belly.

Rahn stared wide-eyed down at the pole jutting out of her midriff.

"RAHN!" Tet screamed as Oro dislodged the spear from Rahn's body. The huntress stumbled forward with a cry of pain.

Orochimaru cackled as Rahn held her hands over the bleeding hole in her belly with a gasp of agony. Realizing what was happening, Rahn staggered desperately toward Tet. She needed to free him. It was the only way they could stand a chance.

Amused at her efforts, Orochimaru closed the short distance that Rahn had created between them and stabbed her again, pushing the spear through her abdomen.

Rahn coughed, blood pooling in her mouth. She fell to the ground, unable to stay on her feet any longer. Panicking, she crawled forward. She didn't want to die again. Not now. Tet would be left alone and she would have failed to fulfill the task left to her by the Great Spirit. She needed to save him, before-

Orochimaru raised his spear and brought it piercing into the girl's back, pinning her in place. Rahn made a guttural sound in the back of her throat, all thoughts jarred loose by an influx of increasing pain.

"Oro!" Tet struggled more furiously than he ever did before. The skin on his wrists rubbed themselves raw against its bindings. He couldn't stand it any longer. Rahn was hurt. Why couldn't Oro see that? Why was Oro hurting Rahn? " _STOP!_ " he begged. " _Please!"_ Tears filtered out of his eyes and he sobbed. "Rahn is hurt."

The woman laughed and twisted her spear, churning Rahn's insides with the stone weapon. Rahn squealed in pain as she clawed desperately against the cavern floor, and Oro's grin widened. "Just like pig."

Tet roared. His vision went red as Oro plunged the spear into his beloved huntress, stabbing her again and again and again and again.. even as Rahn tried to crawl away, even when she stopped moving, even when his mate lay still in a pool of her own blood. Oro didn't stop. The woman continued to skewer Rahn's body, laughing gleefully at her target as she mutilated the corpse with her spear.

Tet cried. He cried harder than he'd ever cried in his life. There was nothing he could do. His wrists bled against his bonds but remained bound in place. It angered him to feel so useless, so utterly trapped as he watched his mate die a terrible, senseless death. " _Oro.._ " He growled with murderous rage. " _Why?!_ "

Orochimaru tittered softly. "Oro likes watching Rahn die. It makes Oro happy." He kicked Rahn's bloodied corpse to the side. "Even better than Rahn's first death."

Tet shrieked, his throat going raw as he tore at his vocal chords in a sheer, unadulterated mixture of rage and emotional agony. He'd never wanted to kill another before. Not even when he had been considering the challenge he was going to make to Groc. He hadn't desired Groc's death in and of itself. He'd simply wanted the blessing for Oro.

But now.. he wanted to see Oro dead. He wanted to stab her the way she'd stabbed Rahn. He wanted to see the woman scream in pain as he kicked her the way she'd kicked his beloved mate. His Rahn. Dead. The pain of the loss shattered him. Rahn was dead. The Great Spirit would not be so generous as to give her a third chance. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It hurt him more than it had the first time he'd seen Rahn die. More than the pain, however, was his hatred of the dark-haired beauty. Of Oro. He hated Oro. He hated Oro more than he'd hated anything in his life.

Oro walked up to him and, as she'd done with Rahn, the woman leaned forward, her face hovering over his own. "Tet has nice eyes."

* * *

As he stared into the kaleidoscopic wheel of the Mangekyo Sharingan, Orochimaru couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. His patience had paid off. The man, unaware of his newfound optical abilities, was simply _seething_ with hatred and pain.

He observed with interest as his own body caught fire. The dark flames of the Amaterasu enveloped him from head to toe, a result of Tet's will no doubt. Shedding his skin, he cast Oro's body aside, letting it burn a safe distance away from him. Then, with quick movements, he tore both Sharingan from Tet's face.

With his Byakugan, he'd seen the Chakra pathways and the timing of their activation from the brain to the eyes in Tet's head. With that data, he was fairly sure he could now duplicate an artificial triggering of his own Mangekyo Sharingan. Of course, those eyes wouldn't last forever. Uchiha Itachi, who had slowly gone blind after many uses of his optical abilities, was a prime example of that fact.

It was an easy fix. He merely needed to incorporate another set of Mangekyo Sharingan, adding it into his own pair to create the Eternal variant of the Uchiha's eyes.

Orochimaru ignored Tet's cries of anguish, created a jar of preservative liquid, and placed the man's eyes inside. He was tired of speaking their language. It was severely underdeveloped and somehow, he felt dumber every time he spoke. Even if that weren't strictly true, the fact remained that the primitive language did not appeal to him, neither did the unclean habits and customs of the people who spoke it.

He paused for a moment to examine both Rahn's mutilated body and Tet's bleeding face. Maybe he'd give them another chance at life. Tet he could easily heal. Rahn, on the other hand, would require a new synthetic body and another Impure World Resurrection. She would thus require another sacrifice. Orochimaru licked his lips. It shouldn't be any trouble. Despite the Ice Age, the world was still teeming with living humans.

That the synthetic bodies he made for them did not age was a bonus. It would be his parting present to the two for being such wonderful subjects. Who knows? They might even discover how to use the Chakra that now circulated within their bodies. If they died, it would be of unnatural causes. Not his fault.

Primitive people were abominably filthy and quite honestly, they disgusted him. After he finished implanting the Eternal Mangekyou into his eyes, he would travel a bit. Hopefully, somewhere around the world, there still existed some semblance of the old civilization. Orochimaru rolled the wooden spear under the soles of his feet, and he allowed himself a dry smirk at the thought. The clattering sounds of the low-grade wood material were almost drowned out by the sorrowful moans that rent the cavern space.

He wouldn't count on it.


End file.
